Love on High Seas 1: Bright Promises of Tomorrow
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: Jack finds Will enslaved, Angel encounters Princess Cordy, Faith falls, Lorne gets bit and may lose his heart in the process, and Halliwell coven, including godmother Ororo Munroe, is put on the run. Slash, het, 15 fandoms - look inside for more details.
1. Prologue

ï»¿ **Title:** Love on the High Seas #1: "Bright Promises of Tomorrow"  
**Authors:** Pirates Sparrow and Turner  
**Rating:** NC-17  
**Feedback:** Yes, please! Seriously, we, like all other fan fic writers, thrive on feedback. However, flames absolutely will not be tolerated.  
**Warnings:** Abuse, Death, Lemon, Nudity, Religious Prejudice, Rape, Sex, Torture, Violence  
**Fandoms/Characters/Pairings:** (Angel/BtVS) A/C, Fresley, Faith, Lorne, Dawn; (Charmed) C/Pi, Prue, Phoebe, Paige, Kit; (Dawson's Creek) Dawson; (Disney) Jack Sparrow/Will Turner; (Elvira) Elvira, Gonk; (Labyrinth) Jareth and company; (PotC) Jack/Will, Elizabeth; (Sabrina) Salem; (Shrek) Donkey; (Smallville) Clex; (SU2) Carl; (10K) Wolf; (X-Men) RoLo and Morph; (Xena) Aphrodite, Xena/Gabby, Joxer, and Autolycus. Sooner or later, there's a pairing for every character, but if they're not listed it here, the pairing will be with either a character from a different fandom or an original character.  
**Summary:** Familiar and new faces come together as the Pirates of The Black Pearl and The Sea Witch in this crossover series including Angel, BtVS, Charmed, Dawson's Creek, Disney, Elvira, Labyrinth, Pirates of the Caribbean, Sabrina (Salem only), Shrek, Smallville, Special Unit 2, 10th Kingdom, X-Men, Xena, and cameos from many others. In the first book, Bright Promises of Tomorrow, the crews arrive expecting to celebrate Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann's wedding but discover that Governor Swann has stooped to new lows and will stop at nothing, not even selling Will into the city's newly-created black market, to keep his daughter from marrying a Pirate. Governor Swann has not, however, taken into consideration Jack's love for Will and his unrelenting willingness to do anything to save his beloved.  
Meanwhile, Port Royal's townspeople have risen into an angry, prejudiced mob set to burn the Witches. Will the Pirates be able to stop the townspeople in time, or will the Witches, including a family by the last name of Halliwell, Ororo Munroe, and Scientist Winifred Burkle, meet their deaths? Also, Faith falls, Angel has his first encounter with Princess Cordelia, Lorne gets bitten in the rear and may well lose his heart in the process, and snow heralds the arrival of even more danger!  
**Disclaimer:** All established characters; all TV show, comic, and movie titles; and the Black Pearl are Â© & TM their respective owners and are used without permission. Crystal "Snowflake" Frost, Katrina "Firestar" Lewis, Celina "Pantheria" Lewis, Tom Ballard, Meesy, Brendan Richards; and all other original characters are Â© & TM Pirates Sparrow and Turner, are used with their permission, and may not be used without permission. The Sea Witch and everything else are also Â© & TM the authors. No copyright infringement is intended, and no monetary profit is made from these tales.

**Prologue**

He stood alone in the room, his back turned to the open door that led to the quiet town he had come to hate. A breeze flitted through the blacksmith shop, and he turned his head to embrace it as it caressed his brown hair. His eyes closed as he let the memories sweep over him. The breeze had brought with it the smell of the sea, and now he could hear the waves slapping against the side of the boat. He could feel the gentle rocking underneath his booted feet, hear the gulls, and taste the air . . . and the life, the life he wanted, the life he had found too late, the life he could never have. He ached for that world -- the world of those he had always thought he despised until learning the truth of their world and realizing that he, too, was one of them, a Pirate.

The yearning in his heart was an ache unlike any he had ever known before returning to land for good, and it was almost the worst pain he had ever known -- almost, because there was one ache that was even worse, one ache that constantly held what remained of Will Turner's heart and soul in its savage, merciless grip. An ache that he never could have imagined before. An ache that he knew he should not have . . . but could not shake regardless of what he tried. A blinding, numbing ache from the loss of _him_.

He'd never known any one else like him. At first, the other man had infuriated him, but as he had come to know him, had learned to see past the barricades that the mighty Pirate constantly kept in place, Will had fallen -- madly, senselessly, _completely_ in love. But he knew none of that mattered for his feelings were forbidden and would never be returned. Sure, Jack cared for him, cared for him as a friend, perhaps even as a brother, but nothing more. Even now, he made the occasional visit, but if Will were to ever hint that his cares for the infamous Captain Sparrow lay any deeper, Jack would sail away out of his life forever. Will would do anything to keep him in his life in any matter for as long as he could . . . regardless of the way seeing him yet knowing that he could never be with him in the way he longed, in the way he dreamed of every time he shut his eyes, tore at his heart.

Besides, his head argued once more with his heart, what good did any of it do him, even thinking of his true beloved, when he was to marry the girl he had so foolishly thought he loved on the morrow? He turned the ring around its place on his finger. What he wouldn't give to run from Elizabeth and sail away into Jack's arms! But that could never be and he was a lucky man, or at least that's what everybody else believed and he, too, would have believed once what felt like a lifetime ago, to have won Miss Swann's coveted affections. He cared for Elizabeth. He always had, and a part of him would always love her -- but she meant nothing to him in the ways that mattered most. He could never love her the way she desired, the way he should, the way a husband loves his wife. He should not be marrying her, and yet he could not bring himself to break her heart for a life that he knew was pointless rather he was wed or not. Jack would never want him.

"You're not getting wedding jitters now, are you, son?"

The gruff voice startled Will out of his thoughts, and his eyes snapped open to find an all-too familiar figure standing in front of him. Will shook his head; he had allowed himself to become so lost in his thoughts that he had not even heard the Governor's approach. "Of course not, Governor," he quickly reassured the elder man with the fake smile that his lips had become so accustomed to.

"Good, but you know," the Governor's arm began to reach behind Will, but as the boy followed the man's movement, he quickly clasped his shoulder instead and continued to speak as they started to walk, "you're going to be married to my daughter soon enough. Don't you think it's past time you started calling me father?"

Will's eyes widened, and he nearly choked on the words that leapt to his tongue, words that he dared not speak. "What's the matter, son?" The governor examined his face for a moment before a mixture of concern and embarrassment washed over his own. "Oh, I'm sorry! How careless of me! I . . . I forgot . . . Your father was a fine man, William; I'm sure although . . . You know, there is a _horrid_ rumor going around that your father was a Pirate, none other than Bootstrap Bill himself!"

Will cut his eyes at Governor Swann, suspiciously watching the older man's eyes. "That he was," he admitted. Despite everything, he would not deny his heritage -- not now, not after all that he had learned.

The Governor froze in mid-stride. He lifted his arm from Will's shoulder as if the young man had suddenly been coated in poison. "Your father was a Pirate?" he repeated. Will nodded, turning to face the Governor. "And you admit that willingly?" Again, Will nodded. "Do you know what marrying the son of a Pirate will do to my daughter's reputation?"

He could not keep the flash of building anger from his eyes. "I assure you, sir, that Elizabeth is fully aware of my heritage and is fine with it."

"Be that as it may, how could you wish such embarrassment and shame upon her if you truly love her?"

Will had not liked the turn the conversation had taken, and already his hand rested upon the hilt of the sword he had kept at his side since returning from his adventure on the seas. His jaw was already set in a firm line when he started to speak again. His words were lost before they could leave his mouth, however, as he caught sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. Will turned swiftly and was just in time to block a stranger's sword. Now, he could see that the Governor was not alone but accompanied by two large men who he had never seen before. "Governor, what's going on?"

The Governor shook his head even as he picked up a board from a nearby desk. "Too many questions," he murmured. Seeing what he was doing, Will prepared to defend himself, but now both men swept their swords at him. He quickly met their attacks, but even as he fended them off, the board met its mark with such force that he went down immediately.

The Governor quickly dropped the board onto the dirt and dusted his hands off. When he looked up, he was met with the surprised looks of his two most secret guards. He shook his head. "She is my daughter, and I need not explain my actions to you. Just take the boy to the meeting place."

"But, sir, are you sure . . . ?" one guard started to ask but fell silent at the look that answered him.

"But what if Miss Swann finds out, sir?" asked the second.

"Leave my daughter to me, and do as I command you. I must keep her safe from this . . . _Pirate_," he sneered disdainfully down at the boy. "He has had his reward for saving her to have won my daughter's heart, but he shall not have her hand. With time, Elizabeth will forget about him, and perhaps then she will marry some one who is worthy of her and her station. Go now and take him, but do be quiet about it. We can't have any one else finding out about this."

**To Be Continued . . . **


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Jack had risen well before dawn and had been wishing for strong winds to carry his ship even faster. He couldn't help the smile that transformed his entire face, turning him from devil-may-care to even more stunningly handsome. His heart was full with love, and his soul was singing. Today was the day when he would see Will again! It had been a long six weeks away, but he had taken many prizes from the Spanish galleons he and his crew had beaten and had kept some great gifts for Will and Elizabeth. Today was their wedding day, and he let out a soft sigh. Jack hoped Will would be very happy with Elizabeth. She was a great girl, even though he hated her father, the Governor.

He loved both of them dearly, and if he didn't have a price on his head, he would have stayed around them longer. He had found himself growing overly fond of Will during their adventure but had shied away from true soul searching. He knew he was attracted to Will but had never showed Will anything but friendship. Jack was afraid of his true feelings and refused to admit them even to himself. He knew that if Will had even an inkling as to his true feelings, he would run away from him and hide. "Poor Will," Jack mused to himself. "Dear sweet boy, how do I count thee, friend or -- ?"

He let his voice fade out even as he heard a voice coming from the Pearl's sister ship. "Good morning, Jack!" a cheery voice called.

"Good morning, Xena!" Jack returned.

"It will be good to see them again, and tomorrow's the wedding!" she reminded him gently.

"It will be fun for us all!" Jack yelled back, giving her a mock bow. She laughed and returned into her chamber to wake her lover, Gabrielle.

* * *

**In Port**

Upon reaching port, Jack gathered his gifts and a change of clothes and headed out for a nearby bathhouse. Along with him, he took his Quartermaster, David Angel, and the ship's surgeon, Brendan Richards. The two men were very fond of Will. They too took advantage of the bathhouse. They were deep in conversation about their plans for the next day when they were suddenly interrupted by two loud-mouthed, drunken soldiers who were quarreling about some stupid thing the Governor was doing.

Jack and company wisely closed their mouths and opened their ears, hoping to catch something worthwhile but the soldiers immediately shut up when the one who seemed to be in charge reminded the others they were supposed to keep it quiet. They looked suspiciously at Jack and his friends, who were about to get out and go for their weapons, but Jack shook his head. He got out and dressed quickly. "See you there!" He smiled and left the room.

Angel and Brendan stayed longer, trying to get themselves sweetly perfumed. Angel hoped to meet up with some ladies, but that topic never even crossed Brendan's mind. They knew Jack could take care of himself. They secretly wished to be him, but Jack would not have believed it of them.

* * *

Outside the bathhouse, Jack had to mentally slow his steps down to keep from running the rest of the way, so eager was he to see Will. When he reached Will's shop, he saw that the door was open. Something was not right. Will would never go off and leave the door open that way. Jack watched the door swinging gently to and fro in the slight breeze. He peeked inside the shop but saw no one.

Walking inside, he saw that it was neat and orderly, just as Will liked it to be, all except for one board that lay in the floor where no board should be. He winced when he saw blood on one end of it. What had happened? he wondered. "Will, are you here?" he called to the emptiness.

He walked into the next room and saw that it was neatly kept with the bed made. His right hand reached out and softly stroked the pillow where Will lay his head each night. He snatched it back as though it had burned him. He had no right to think such thoughts!

He turned and ran all the way back to the Pearl to get one of his men, Wolf. He could find Will for him. Wolf could find any one by smell alone. Jack was scared all the way to his soul. He knew something was wrong. He must find Will and quickly!

**To Be Continued . . . **


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

It was with one of her rare smiles that Faith bounded down the gangplank. As she left the ship, she heard Xena calling to her to make certain she was back in time to go to Will and Elizabeth's wedding, but Faith ignored her captain. She had no intention of spending her evening in a silly gown, watching two fools sign their lives over to each other. No, unlike the others, she'd anticipated this landing for an entirely different reason. She had an itch that had desperately needed scratching for over two months now. She'd missed having her fun the last time they had been in port for they had been too busy with other missions and assignments for her to be able to work in even one of her infamous quickies. But not this time. Oh, no, for this time, she was on the prowl, and she would find her target as soon as she was in the town. "Want. Take. Have," she whispered under her breath, her dark eyes gleaming dangerously, for those three little words were her motto for all of life.

Faith had began to receive stares ever since coming into port, but she'd ignored them all in her search for just the right bounty. She had just turned on to the village's main street, however, when a stranger came up to her. "Beautiful . . . day, that is," he greeted her with what she knew he thought to be a dazzling smile.

She rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to groan aloud. What was it with these idiots who actually thought that _they_ could come on to _her_ and stand any chance of having their pathetic lines accepted? She sidestepped the man. He started to turn after her, but she hit him with her elbow in his gut. Even as he doubled over, his hands clutching his stomach, she muttered, "'Beautiful day' _that_," and continued on.

Hearing hushed whispers behind the gloved hands of the ladies who adorned the boardwalks, Faith glanced up with a snarl. She was mere seconds from telling them off when a blonde head caught her attention. Her snarl turned to a wicked smile as she examined the young man closer. He was kneeling on the boardwalk, picking up a pan of dust that he'd just swept from in front of the shop she assumed he worked at, and seemed oblivious to the gossip whispering all around him. She watched him for a moment, and the nervous glances he shot up at the other women told her that he was not oblivious, just shy and quiet. She continued to watch him for a moment longer, and slowly his eyes lifted to hers. She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively at him and almost burst out laughing when she saw him gulp. She continued to watch him as he quickly finished his chore and hurried back into the shop. Her eyes feasted on his rear end, that was only hindered a bit by his apron strings, as he all but ran away. He closed the door behind him, and she slowly ran her tongue over her lips. She'd just found what she was looking for and couldn't wait to take that boy for what she fully believed would be the wildest ride of his quiet, little life!

* * *

Elsewhere, in the seemingly quiet village, an odd woman, whose completely pitch black clothes were a stark contrast against her pale white skin, paced back and forth in a small cottage. Worried eyes watched every flurried step of her black high heels. "Oh, Gonk," she cried, "I just don't know what to do! Gods know if I was half the Sorceress my sister is I'd blast all those prejudiced idiots to Hell, but I'm not! Even my smallest spells backfire; you've seen that! And they're coming! I know they're coming! Delvira said she'd be here by now, but she's not! I'll know the minute she comes in port! We always do, but -- but if I keep waiting here, I'll -- !"

Just then, loud knocks rapped across her door, and both woman and dog turned to look at the door as if it was the gateway to their very deaths. "Open up, Witch! We know you're in there!"

"Open up or we'll knock down your door and drag you out of there!"

"No, we'll just burn you where you stand! And your little demon too!"

"Open up, daughter of Satan," came the preacher's voice, "and confess to us your sins so that the Lord might have pity upon you and spare your soul!"

Elvira shook her head as she backed slowly away from the door. Gonk stood before her, barking shrilly. There'd be no sparing of her soul, though she'd done no wrong. They would torture her until she either confessed to the insane things that their twisted minds wanted to hear or they'd burn her at the sake; even if she did not make such a completely false confession, they'd still burn her. They wanted her, and any one else who shared even a fraction of her beliefs, dead. And Gonk . . . Poor Gonk! They'd drown him to start with -- if they didn't crush him to death with rocks first!

She continued to back away, her eyes growing wider with each new splinter of wood that fell away from her door. They had to run! But where could they possibly go? It was just as her back pressed against her back door that a new knocking came. She jumped away from the door as if she had just been scalded, but the series of urgent, quiet knocks that followed the first brought just a bit of relief to her, though the frantic tears remained in her black eyes.

Elvira opened the door to find two of her oldest friends standing there. "Patty! Ororo! Tell me you have a way out of this Hell!"

The women shook their heads sadly. It was the African American who spoke first. "I am afraid not, my friend. It is . . . " Her blue eyes met Elvira's black ones in silent conveyance of a dire message. " . . . to be Plan B instead."

"What!" Elvira asked in shock. "No, it can't -- !"

Patty shook her head, a movement that sent her brown hair shaking around her slender shoulders. "Do you really think that I want to condemn my own mother and children to death, Elvira? But they have the entire village surrounded, and the other villages have already been struck!" She gestured with a hand toward a crowd of women waiting only a few yards away. "Those who managed to escape kept moving until they came to us! We're the last ones, Elvira, and there's no other way out!"

"But . . . But the port?"

Patty shook her head. "Even if we could make it there, no ship would give us passage. The Governor already has guards headed down there this morning, guards who are going for no other purpose than to warn the boats about us. And we can not wait any longer for your sister." She shook her head again, and tears glistened in her eyes as she told her sincerely, "I'm sorry."

Elvira started to slowly shake her head. "No . . . It . . . It can't be."

"We all wish that that were so, Elvira," Ororo spoke with the gentle tone of a mother, "but wishes do us no more good than pleas for help on silent breezes. Believe us," she continued, placing a comforting hand on Elvira's pale shoulder. "You know if there was any other way, we would take it, but is it not better, dear friend, to sacrifice our lives in standing for what we all believe in, for our Lords and Ladies, than to allow them to beat us until we are subdued and forced to give away the secrets of our people and beliefs and to let them twist everything we say until nothing is truth but only what they wish to be heard?"

"You . . . " Elvira hung her head and let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding. "You are right, of course, Ororo." Her gaze, as she lifted her head, encompassed both women so that they understood that though she only spoke one's name, her answer was intended for both. Her front door was cracking, and three of the four heads turned toward the sound of the wood beginning to severely buckle underneath the weight of the men who beat at it. Only Gonk did not turn toward it for he, instead, continued to look up with begging eyes at his beloved mistress.

Elvira sighed as her gaze met her familiar's. She would not allow him to meet the same fate as she had to. She knelt before him and quickly tore a piece of her dress. She spoke in hurried whispers to her strange, little poodle as she tied the piece of silky fabric around his collar. "Run to the docks, Gonk. Hide there but keep a look-out for Delvira and Jareth. They might still make it in time, but if they don't, they'll take good care of you." She could tell from the look of his eyes that he was about to argue with her, but she sternly continued, "No. We don't have time for that, Gonk. You have to trust me. You have to do this for Mommy." To neither Ororo's nor Patty's surprise, the poodle submitted in a nod. "Good boy," Elvira said as she lovingly stroked his wool one last time. A lone tear ran down her pale cheek as she kissed him on the top of his head; then she forced herself to stand. "Go, Gonk. Run, but don't be seen and don't get caught!"

She turned back to her friends but did not speak to them. She only nodded instead, but the simple movement of her head and the look in her distraught eyes told them everything they really needed to know. Together, they ran back to the group, and as one, the women took off running for the ocean. The mob fell through the door on top of each other, and only a few barely caught a glimpse of the big, black dog running from the open back door.

* * *

"Oh, Father! Father, something _terrible_ has happened!" Elizabeth Swann wailed as she burst into the conference room.

The Governor looked up, clearly startled, as his daughter had just interrupted a very important meeting. He opened his mouth to yell at her, but his words caught in his throat as he saw the tears streaming down his only child's face and realized what had happened. "Elizabeth! Elizabeth, dear, what's wrong?" he asked, his face and voice wringed with worry even as she collapsed, sobbing, into his open arms.

"It's Will!" she cried. "He's missing, Father!"

"Oh, nonsense!" he started to respond while reassuringly patting her back. "He's probably just superstitious! You know it's bad luck for the bride to see the groom before the wedding."

"I know, Father. That's why we planned to meet on either side of the door to the day room this morning, but when he didn't come, I sent out one of the guards to look for him. Robert said he found the shop open with no sign of Will anywhere, and no one's seen Will all day, not even his boss! Oh, Father, I just know something horrible's happened to him! You must send out a rescue party!"

"Nonsense, Elizabeth. I'm sure the lad's fine, but if he has gotten cold feet and ran off, then perhaps it's for the best. After all, you know the son of a pirate is only suitable for a slave to our level of -- "

Elizabeth had pulled back now and was watching her father with suddenly wary eyes. "What did you say?" she asked slowly, still sniffing as she tried to stop her tears.

"I said I'm sure he's fine."

"No . . ." she spoke slowly with a shake of her head. Her skin had paled and her emotions changed for a cold fear was steadily taking the place of her worry over her beloved's disappearance. "After that . . . "

"I said, if he has ran off, then perhaps it's for the best." The Governor spoke carefully, realizing that his slip of the tongue had made his daughter begin to suspect that he had did something to her fiancé. "After all, we all know you can do much better, Elizabeth."

"I can not do better than to follow my heart, Father," Elizabeth replied icily, having now slipped beyond her father's immediate reach, "and William Turner has my heart. However, that is still not what you said. Tell me that you did not say what I thought you did, that you did not say that the man I love is only suitable for a _slave_!"

"I . . . Of course I did not!" the Governor, a bead of sweat already broken out across his forehead, hurried to assure her. "I only said that the son of a pirate is only suitable for a slave of people in our station, but William is much more than a pirate's son. After all, as you said, he is the man you love. I did not . . . "

Already, Elizabeth was shaking her head. As she looked at her own father as if he were a monster instead, her lips parted in a quiet whisper filled with both fear and despair, "You never could lie to me." He reached out to stop her, but Elizabeth avoided her father's grasp as she ran from the room as if all the Demons of Hell were nipping at her feet.

The Governor looked from his daughter's disappearing back to the other men in the room. "Gentlemen, if I may be . . . ?"

"Of course, Governor Swann. After all, we have all had a taste of young girls' teenaged flights of fancy before." The others nodded their heads in unison, though some had a distinctly different look on their faces than was on the faces of the fathers in the room.

"Thank you," the Governor hurriedly murmured as he swept out of the room and began running toward his daughter's bed chamber, thinking that that was where she had fled to. It never crossed the Governor's mind that his daughter might already be out of the safety of her home and well on her way to a certain pirate ship that she hoped with all her heart had already reached the harbor.

* * *

Carl sighed as he continued to make his way through the village, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He had had such high hopes when he had left the ship earlier that morning, and he was harshly reminded of the countless times his parents had warned him that high hopes were for tall people only and just got their race into trouble. He had met many women that morning and had used all kinds of different lines. He had tried the basic "Hello, baby!" to the more advanced line that was rumored to be the favorite of one of the world's greatest lovers, Bucklin Wilmington, the classic, "Beautiful . . . _day_, that is!" He had even tried his favorites, including accusing one particularly stunning redhead's father of being a thief for he had stolen sapphires for her hair and emeralds for her eyes.

Carl realized with only a bit of a shock that he had actually used every line in his book already that day, but they had all brought the same response. Every single woman, from the most beautiful he'd seen in a very long time to the ugly ones who he had attempted a move on out of nothing more than sheer desperation, had called him ugly, demanded to know just what he was, and slapped him. His ears still rang with their shouts, and his cheeks stung from their slaps. Of course, his constant, honest answers had not helped matters in the slightest for they had either fainted, hit him again until he had suffered a minor unconsciousness spell, or just picked up their skirts and ran as fast as their fancy shoes could carry them.

The little fellow sighed a second time, but as he drove his hands even deeper into his pockets, his fingers touched the coins that they held. He couldn't help a small smile as he realized just how many pockets he'd collected from. If it came to it, he could always hire a woman for the night yet again, but this time he'd actually have money left over. He chuckled as he thought of the reactions the women who had slapped him would have if they were to realize just how much lighter he'd made every one of their purses.

The lifting of his mood shattered, however, as angry shouts cut through the air. Another set of shouts rang out, but these were filled far more with fear than anger. "Come on, Paige!"

"I can't run any more!" Carl's eyes followed the sound of the feminine voices to an astonishingly large group of women. His heart cried out as he saw the tears streaming down several of their cheeks, and then his eyes were met with the face of the one called Paige. His heart stopped as his eyes feasted on her beauty. Despite the tears that ran down her face, marring her ivory skin, she was still surely the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen! "I just can't!"

"You have to!" another of the brunettes that surrounded her cried out. The brunettes on either side of Paige grasped her arms as they drug her with them, determined not to leave her behind.

"WITCHES!" Carl's heart sped back up and thundered so loudly that he wondered why it did not deafen both the mob and those fleeing from them. His eyes, and every other inch of his small body, were filled with fury as he stared at the mob chasing after the women. Some held lit torches while others carried pitchforks and long swords whose blades gleamed dangerously in the golden rays of the morning sun.

"You can run from us, but you will never escape the power of the Lord! He shall smite you all, wicked creatures of Satan!"

Carl's hands were so tightly balled into fists that his dull fingernails left marks in the palms of his hands. They would not get away with this. They would not hurt these women, let alone burn them, but he knew he could not save them alone. Turning, Carl had just began to run when something barreled under him. He fell forward but never reached the ground. Instead, he let out a yelp of surprise as he found himself riding a black dog that was bigger than he was!

The dog let out a howl as he ran, and the Gnome understood. Though he was glad for the understanding, he was filled with even more anger at the knowledge. "Get us to the port! My shipmates will rescue them!" The only response from Gonk was an extra burst of speed.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Wolf had been checking over the supply list for the third time before going ashore. He heard Carl yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs and wondered what the little guy had got into trouble with this time. Bounding over to the railing, he looked for him. He never would have expected the sight that met his eyes -- Carl riding a huge black dog and carrying a black flag that fluttered in the breeze.

As soon as he heard Carl's screams clearly, he called to the other men. "We will go and rescue these fair women! Though they be Witches, they do not deserve to be treated thus!" Dropping his list in a nearly empty bucket, he jumped over the side, changing into his wolf form.

Among the heads that had snapped up at the sounds of both Carl's and Wolf's shouts was a furry face with baby blue eyes that flashed at Wolf's words. "What do you mean by that -- 'though they be Witches'! Just because they are -- " She let her sentence hang in mid-air, however, as Wolf had either not heard her or ignored her for he was already gone, changing into his lupine form and racing towards Carl and the unknown dog he rode.

The familiar touch of a gentle hand on her shoulder decreased a bit of her anger. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, love. If he was really prejudiced, he wouldn't be in such a rush to save them."

Celina shook her head but had to relent nonetheless. "I'm sure you're right, beloved. It's just . . . " With another shake of her head, she emitted a soft sound that was an odd cross between a growl and a sigh. "Canines. They never do bother to contemplate their word choices." Without another word, she slipped out from underneath her husband's hand and raced after Wolf. She did not need to look back to know that Morph was right behind her, and though she heard a door open somewhere behind them and smelled their Captain as she approached, she did not pause as she leaped over the side of the ship.

* * *

A barely dressed Xena was in the process of scrubbing her beloved Gabrielle's back when they had been disturbed by loud noises. Grabbing her sword, she ran out on deck just in time to see Wolf change. Xena had been waiting for the trouble to hit for a while. Their voyage had been prosperous but uneventful. She stood with the sunlight caressing her bare chest, hardly even thinking about it.

Suddenly, she felt her crew's eyes on her. She heard her quartermaster, a man known to all only as Wolverine, clear his throat in warning and did not have to look at her cook to know that Autolycus was wondering if he dared attempt to lay a hand on her. It was her weapon checker's widened eyes that her gaze settled upon as she glanced around, however. "Arm the crew and go after them!" she ordered even as she headed back to her cabin. Wesley hurried to obey his Captain's orders, tossing swords and daggers to those who did not already have their weapons on them. Most did, however, and had already left by the time he grasped his own sword.

Wolf heard the others following him. Reaching Carl, he could see that he was not in trouble from the huge animal but was riding him like a horse. "Lead on," he yipped to the dog who changed his course, returning from whence he came. Wolf slowed just enough to let the men keep him in sight. He prayed they would be in time to save the women.

As they raced, Celina thought of the Black Pearl's crew and wondered if they had heard Carl. She had just started to reach out telepathically to her sister when she found her running next to her.

Gonk knew that the people and bizarre wolf following him were pirates and that they did not belong to Jareth's ship. He could smell the abnormal, and even Supernatural, differences in them; Werewolf, Werecat, and Demon blood all drifted to him on the breeze. None of that mattered to the dog, however. All that mattered to him was getting help to his mistress; he would do anything and put up with anything, even this odd, small creature called a Gnome on his back, if it meant his beloved Elvira would live.

* * *

Reaching her armor, Xena quickly dressed, all the while telling Gabrielle what little she had been able to see and how that the trouble they had escaped from was now beginning to come after them. "Hurry, beloved; we must go to their rescue!" She knew troubles always came in threes, just like bad luck, and that it never seemed to stop coming. She was worried what the other two troubles would be and hoped that it was nothing she and Jack couldn't handle. She felt between them they could handle anything the Fates dished out and come out on top. There was a time when she was all alone, about to die, and Jack had saved her. He was like a brother to her now, and Gabby was her life and own true love. They were her family, and together they could move mountains!

Gabrielle was already fastening the last laces of her bodice when Xena finished telling her what she knew, and already the blonde's blood was boiling. "I'm so sick of these prejudiced idiots," she hissed, her green eyes blazing. "It just never ends, does it? Christians fight amongst themselves and kill each other but call Witches Satan's children and burn us at the stake. Writers are killed just because somebody in power doesn't like what they've wrote, even when it's the truth." Realizing that her always-eager tongue was on the beginning of a fiery rant that they had no time for, Gabrielle silenced herself with a shake of her head.

She glanced at her staff leaning against one of the cabin's walls, but it was her sais below it that she picked up. She flipped them around and smiled at the way they felt in her grip. Even as she did, though, memories of the times she'd came so close to being burnt and hung flashed through her mind. Only a couple of those times had been for being a pirate; far more often they were because of her love for Xena, another woman; her religious beliefs; or even just the truths she'd written that infuriated the townspeople who had themselves done the deeds she was to be killed for simply writing about. Turning back to her lover, her sais still in her hands, a ghost of Xena's infamous dangerous smile crossed her lips. "Let's go kick butt."

Xena grinned at her as she ran out of the cabin. "Let's get dangerous, love." Reaching the railing, she jumped over the side and turned to watch as Gabby jumped. Xena never grew tired of watching Gabrielle in motion. She was so graceful. In dangerous moments, she was her best ally, and she knew danger lay just before them. All around she could see the others running, and she knew that time was of the very essence. She wondered where Jack was and hoped he was having a better day than she was.

Gabrielle placed one hand on the railing and sprung over its side. Landing beside her lover, she took off without another word. Though a storm raged in her green eyes and her heart hammered furiously against her breast, she remained calm. She had seen too many other lives lost due to prejudice; these Christians would not take the Witches. She knew the others would fight to protect them, but she did not stop to think about them as she ran next to Xena. Instead, she thought only that Xena and she would make certain that the others of their religious beliefs escaped alive.

* * *

No answer came to Jack's impatient ears so as soon as he reached the ship, he climbed quickly up the rope and onto the deck of his beloved ship. He was startled to see that no one was aboard. He called out again. It was a rule that some one always remain aboard, alert for trouble, and ready to sail at a moment's notice. He wondered what could have caused the complete desertion of the Pearl. A worried frown creased his forehead and his eyes darkened. Was treachery aboard? Had his men been arrested, despite the Governor's having agreed to grant them amnesty for this day alone, his daughter's wedding day? He hoped not! He decided to climb up to the crow's nest so he could get a better view. Releasing one of the ropes, he sprung neatly into the nest.

Far out to the right of the harbor was a huge group of people chasing another group of people. The chasers were carrying pitchforks and yelling nasty things that Jack could not understand from the distance that separated them. Jack didn't like the looks of things. He could see Wolf and his men running, and he, too, wanted to be there to help. He climbed quickly back down only to land in the midst of an angry mob who had come on the Pearl uninvited. He would not have to go to the fighting -- he grinned impishly --; the fighting had come to him!

Jack now stood alone amidst what appeared to be six burly guards. Jack figured that they were not the same ones he had seen running. He was alone but not afraid for himself but only for Will. These men were blocking him and keeping him from going after Wolf; thus they were keeping him from getting to Will. In a strong voice, Jack now demanded, "Who are you, and why are you on my ship? You are trespassing, and I'll thank you to leave my ship as quickly as you came! If you don't, I'll have to throw you off!" He was not jesting, and he put all of his determination into his words and stance, believing he could follow up on his words but hoping that he was right.

The guards already had their swords drawn, and now their leader pointed his sword at the pirate's throat. "You do not order us, pirate. We take orders from His Majesty alone and will leave this ship only when you have returned our Princess to us."

Jack's mouth fell open in surprise. What the Hell were these idiots babbling on about? A Princess aboard his ship? "I think you got the wrong ship, mate. There's never been a Princess on here. The most exalted presence that's ever been on this ship was the governor's daughter, and there's not any women aboard now." He did not move as the sword was dangerously near his jugular. He continued to glare angrily at the guard while hoping desperately that he could find a way out of this mess.

The guard captain's sword pressed closer against the pirate's throat. "You may be lying, or you may simply not be aware of her," he admitted. "However, the Princess is here. We saw her sneak aboard." It was at that moment that the guard's blue eyes caught sight of a flicker of movement in the shadows on the opposite side of the ship. He looked up, though his blade remained at Jack's throat. "Princess!" he called. "Bruce, Davis, take this pirate," he instructed them. Two of the guards reached out to snatch Jack's arms, but already their captain had moved away and was headed for the Princess who tried desperately to shrink back into the shadows.

Jack had no ideal how the girl had got aboard the ship. What he did know was that the idiot captain had just screwed up. He had let go of him before the others had grabbed him. He danced quickly away from them, turning as he did so and snatching his sword out. The other guards did not have theirs out. "Huh, captain!" one of the guards managed to squeak out. "Captain, we got a situation!" another one came up with. Jack grinned evilly at them. Thank the Goddess he had been given a chance and that he was quick enough to take advantage of it. Keeping his back against the ship, he waited for them to make their next move.

"Handle it!" the captain snapped back at the lower guards without even bothering to glance their way. His gaze remained focus on the Princess' silhouette instead. "Oh, Princess, my love, why do you try to hide from me? You know I will not hurt you." Instead of answering him, however, she began to try to slip away from him. "Princess?"

Upon hearing that the captain did not care what happened to the pirate, all five guards pulled their swords out. Jack immediately attacked the two that were in the front, trying to keep his back against the ship's wall, but he soon found that he was unable to do so. The minute he stepped away from the wall, they surrounded him.

While Jack could easily have handled the two and put them out of commission, the other three came at his back side, and he was soon forced to drop his sword. He still stared glaringly at them. He had not been easy to take down. He now feared for the worst -- that he would be killed and never get to see Will again. His heart was breaking.

What could have happened to his precious friend? Who would save he himself now? Would he be killed and no one even know that Will was missing? The guards forced him to his knees, each of them pointing their swords at his throat. He still held his head high. His dying thoughts would be of Will. He now realized how deeply he loved Will, and Will would never even know.

He saw the captain of the guard closing in on the woman and knew that he could not help her. It was at his darkest moment that he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Was it to be more attackers or could rescue possibly have arrived?

**To Be Continued . . . **


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Wolf's keen senses of smell and sight shown him that he was almost to the area of the ocean that the Christians were chasing the others. He could see that they were not going to be in time. The hair stood up on his back, and he howled for already women were drowning and he could not reach them. He could not believe his eyes when they had simply held hands and walked out into the ocean, singing and chanting, to meet what they knew would be their deaths. How brave they were or, on the other paw, how stupid they were!

Wolf had never believed in anything enough that he wanted to die for it until he had met Jack. Now he knew he was willing to die for his family yet he still did not have a cause to which he would give his life. Jack had saved him on numerous occasions from the hangman's noose, and he owed him big time but there was still nothing that he believed in to the point that he would die for it and yet, these women were walking out, almost cheerfully though tears streamed down several of their faces, to meet certain doom. Gods, women! he wanted to scream out in man's language but only a howl came out.

Where was Jack in all this madness? Wolf believed Jack could do anything, even stop this madness. He renewed his efforts to reach the women, only to be blocked by the Christians. The stench of hatred and prejudice that came off of them was enough to gag him. It was overpowering. He glanced around, trying to find a place to jump into the water, but the Christians were barring the water.

It was then that the men finally reached the confrontation. They attacked the Christians with everything they were carrying -- axes, swords, daggers, claws. Some, like Xena, Gabrielle, Wolverine, and Cole Turner, were flurries of action that nothing seemed able to hold back while others, like Joxer, who was far more apt in the kitchen than on the battlefield, and Carl, whose shortness was constantly pitted against him, determinedly continued their struggles against the mob, no matter how many times they were knocked flat of their backside. The Lewis sisters and their husbands fought side by side in a blinding daze of silver blades, fur, and hair. Even those few among their number who might have attempted to find another solution before fighting, and moreover killing, did not hesitate to do their fullest in the fray for they had all felt the sting of prejudice at some time or another in their lives.

Their fighting gave Wolf enough of a chance to jump into the ocean. The first person he encountered was definitely dead. She lay floating with her eyes open skyward. The fear and grief in her eyes had been dulled by death, but a peaceful smile remained on her cold lips. It gave him the willies. He knew there'd be a lot more dead this day. He heard a yell and barely managed to swim out of the way just as a Christian was thrown in, blood spattering everywhere. Bile rose in his throat and he almost lost it, but his nose caught a scent of something barely breathing yet still alive.

Wolf started to swim toward the scent but had to take a quick detour as two huge forms fell into the water on either side of him. Upon glancing to the newcomers, surprise flickered in his dark eyes, but as soon as he saw the giant octopuses beginning to reach for women with their eight arms and caught their scents, he realized that they were only the shapeshifters, Morph and Tom. Immediately returning his attention to the scent of the live woman, Wolf continued toward her.

Reaching her, Wolf got a good grip on her hair. Her clothes were so heavy that they were pulling the body down, and he fought valiantly to pull the raven-haired wench from the water. Pushing her to shore, his eyes looked pleadingly for help. He was not surprised to see that there was only a handful of Christians left, and even as he watched, they were picked up, throats slit, and thrown into the water. A pair of strong arms reached down and took the woman out of the water. He did not let go until he could feel her being pulled. She was carried over to a grassy area and laid down. Gabrielle stood waiting at the designated spot, and as soon as Wolf saw the surgeon bend down to care for his rescuee and heard her calling commands to Joxer and Autolycus who had joined her in helping to care for those few who were snatched from the water while they still lived, he returned to his own rescue efforts.

* * *

Upon reaching the water's edge, Carl had gotten off the huge dog and was running back and forth, trying to braven himself enough to jump in and try to save one of the lovely women. He was scared of the water and could do nothing but whimper and run up and down. He noticed that the dog was gone and looked up and around for his companion, noticing that he had gone over to where a raven-haired woman dressed in black was laying on the ground.

Carl finally spied what he was looking for. It was a pole with a hook on it. He knew if he got in the water, his butt would be gone for it would either suck him down or carry him out to sea. He looked around for a buxom wench to rescue and finally spied some one with red hair. He snaked the pole out and caught the clothes, pulling the woman to him. Carl thought she was the prettiest fish he'd ever seen.

A couple of the guys reached down and pulled her out of the water. "Good going, little guy," one of them said and reached down and patted Carl on the head. Carl growled. He hated to be treated like a pet of some kind. He immediately began looking for another woman to rescue.

He spied another one and snaked the pole quickly out to snag her and pulled her up close only to find out that she was dead. The pirates who had quickly gotten rid of the Christians were now just as quickly pulling the women out of the water. Two of them, Lex and Clark, stayed close by Carl and pulled out everything that he snaked up. Unfortunately, the redhead had been the only one alive thus far, and all the rest that were dead they had laid a little ways away from them, grouping them together. It was a gut-wrenching, heart-sickening affair for all involved.

Then Carl snagged one with black hair. He pulled her up and breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive. Even as Clark gathered the woman into his arms and ran her over to Gabrielle, Carl glanced around but did not see any other bodies floating nearby. He did, however, see Cole trying to get to shore with a woman. Carl waited in case he could help.

* * *

Cole had arrived and jumped straight into the ocean, hoping to rescue a fair damsel, but every woman he came into contact with save one was already dead and he didn't spend any time getting their bodies out of the water. Cole was only in it for the live ones, although he would help later after they got the last live ones out and removed the dead women from the water. No one should have had to have died in this manner, but he knew it happened far too often. He felt powerless to do anything about it.

It was then that he spied another woman and swam over to her. He sniffed her. She was breathing but just barely. His heart stirred at the sight of her, but he didn't know why. She reminded him of some one. He put his arm around her and began to swim with his other arm toward the shore. She had been further out than the others, and her clothes were very heavy. They almost pulled Cole down. He was relieved to see Carl snaking his pole out, and he grabbed it with his hand and was pulled rapidly toward the shore where he and the woman were pulled out.

The woman was carried away toward the area where the live women had been taken, and Cole lay on his back, breathing heavily, looking at the sky. For such a miserable day of sadness and sorrow, he could not believe that the sky was beautiful, not a rain cloud in sight, no one to cry for the dead. He wondered about the woman and hoped that she had not lost any loved ones in this mess. He had lost both a mother and a sister to Christians, and he hated them with a bloody passion.

He closed his eyes and thanked the Gods and Goddesses that he had been in time and saved two women. He remembered back to another little, petite woman he had hauled out when he had first got there. The first woman he had rescued had made him think of his sister. She was small and had long, black hair to her waist. He figured her eyes were probably blue. He shook himself mentally, got up, and went to find out how the women were doing.

* * *

Wolverine had been amongst some of the first to reach the confrontation area and had grabbed three Christians at once, banging their heads together and then tossing them into the water to drown. He set about on a rampage, killing Christians with the greatest of glee, until there were no more for him. Then he began to jump into the water, bringing women out. He did not look to see if they were living or dead. He just brought them out, dropped them on the ground, and let some one else deal with them. When he found a Christian, he wrinkled his nose and pushed them away.

He soon lost track of how many women he had brought up out of the water. Glancing around, he did not see any more women and saw that the other men had gotten out of the water, so he figured the attempt was over. All he saw bobbing up and down was Christian bodies that he was going to leave to rot for the buzzards.

Something white fluttered in the slight breeze that had suddenly kicked up, and it seemed to be attached to a floating log. He swam quickly over and saw that it was a woman, a woman of such beauty that it simply blew him away. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth. If this beauty was dead, there was going to be a Hell of a lot more pain going on! He managed to get her to the water's edge, and when others would have reached out to help him, he growled. No one would get to help her but him! This one was personal!

He lay her on the ground, rolled her on her back, and began to mash her stomach, gently at first. Water spewed out of her mouth, and she started coughing. This one was his! If any one got near her, they'd pay for it. He continued to work on her, making sure that the water got out of her throat and mouth. He turned her head sideways so that it could come out more easily. When no more water seemed to be forthcoming, he sat and looked at her, hoping she'd breathe clearly and not gaggingly, but she didn't seem to be responding other than spitting the water out.

He positioned himself over her and began to breathe into her mouth, holding her nose closed while he did so. He took several deep breaths and blew them into her mouth again. He did not know how long he was doing this. He was so frustrated that he screamed out his rage and hit the ground beside her with his clenched fist. She was going to die on him, and there was nothing he could do! He picked her up, dragging her into his arms, not realizing that he was crying. Several tears ran down his face and landed on hers. It was then he felt her begin to breathe. "Thank the Goddess!" He prayed she'd live.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Gabrielle stood in the center of the grassy area where the living women had been carried. Having returned her sais to her boots quite some time ago, her hands were empty, and without her herbs or even Brendan's tools, she felt powerless to do anything more to help the women who had yet to waken. Her green eyes traveled over the unconscious women to her helpers, who she could tell were as exhausted from their efforts to breathe life into the women as those who had done the actual rescuing and were now coming out of the water were. Joxer had fallen face-first onto the ground and had not even bothered to try to get back up yet, and Autolycus sat on the ground next to her feet, his mouth unusually silent and his eyes watching the women.

Gabrielle again began to walk around, checking on each of the women. They were all still breathing, but there was nothing more she could do for them. All any of them could do now was exactly what the poodle who sat beside the pale-skinned, raven-haired woman was doing -- sit, wait, and watch for any signs of improvement or worsening. She did not know where the little dog had come from but knew from the way his sad eyes intently watched the woman that he belonged to her and would not be dragged away no more than she would have been dragged away from Xena had her beloved been in that position.

A sudden yell followed by the sounds of heavy sobbing broke the stillness that had began to settle in the air. Gabrielle's gaze instantly turned to the source of the sounds, and her eyes widened with surprise, even as others' mouths dropped open, to see that Wolverine, who had never shed a single tear while amongst them, was crying openly and clutching a woman with ivory hair and chocolate skin. Her forehead creased as she wondered why the stranger had taken such a toll on him. Was she not a stranger to him, as well? The healer pushed the thoughts from her mind as she started toward him. She knew very little of Wolverine's past, but that did not matter.

Gabrielle had barely started toward Wolverine when the woman suddenly stirred. Seeing the movement as the woman finally began to come to, Gabrielle did not go any further but stayed where she stood with her eyes carefully watching the woman to make sure that she would indeed be all right and her ears open to those around her.

* * *

It was through a mental haze that Ororo Munroe slowly became aware of her surroundings once more. She felt a weight pressing against her, but as she grew more alert, she realized that it was not the ocean she felt. She stilled herself. Had she been dragged from the water as she feared they might be? If so, then let them do what they would. She would cut out her own tongue before she would give them anything that they could use against her fellow Witches.

She was putting off opening her eyes when she felt drops of liquid fall onto her bare shoulders. The liquid came with sounds of crying that finally brought her eyes to open. Who would be crying for her? She had no one save those who she had walked into the ocean with, and they would not have brought her out. As her eyes opened, she found herself looking up into a rugged face who, even then and though it was littered with scattered scars, she could not deny the handsomeness of.

She tried to speak, but her mouth, where even now a strange taste unlike any she'd ever experienced before lingered, did not seem willing to cooperate. "W-Who? W-Wh-What?" she barely managed in a choked whisper that her own ears could not even make out.

Wolverine was startled when the woman moved and made a moaning sound. He smiled for the first time that day. She would make it! Continuing to hold her with his left arm, he swiped gently at her face, removing her hair from her face. "I am sorry, little one, for everything that happened here today. You are safe now. No one will dare to hurt you while I'm here." He picked her up and carried her carefully to where the other survivors were.

He was not accustomed to showing so much of his feelings. If he had realized that the others knew he had done it, he would be extremely embarrassed. If any one had dared to say anything to him, they would have gotten a claw for their efforts.

Once reaching there, he laid her gently on the ground and turned to look for Gabrielle. Once spying her, he called to her, "Are they breathing without too much effort or do they sound like they're gurgling? If they are, we have to clear their air ways." Wolverine had lead many lives in his lifetime and had a lot of training in a lot of things. At one time, he had even been a medic during the war. He had seen a lot of people die but none so senselessly as the ones who had died this day. He waited for Gabrielle to answer.

"They're breathing on their own, and they've already been cleared. We've done all we can," came Gabrielle's gentle response from where she stood, keeping a careful eye on all the patients. "All we can do now . . . is wait," she admitted with a sigh.

Ororo was still struggling against the awful pain drowning had left in every inch of her body, but she finally managed to reach up and lay a gentle hand on the stranger's leg in an effort to get her rescuer's attention. "I do not understand," she managed in a weak whisper. "Who are you? Why . . . Why did you . . . do you care?" She had never known another who had cared for Witches who was not one herself, and in fact, she had never known a man with a good heart.

"Rest, sweet, gentle lady," Logan said as he knelt down by her again. "You're safe here. Logan will watch over you. Nothing will get near you." He could not believe how beautiful she was, and he imagined that she was not the only one. Maybe that was why the Christians hated the Witches even more? Most of the Christians tended to be ugly, and every Witch he had ever met was beautiful.

He sat down beside her and looked back up at Gabrielle. "Resting is all we can do for them now, resting and protecting them, but as soon as they start to revive, we need to move them to the safety of the ships. It will not be long before the townsfolk find out what's going on and start coming to investigate." Gabrielle nodded in response but did not speak. Logan sat just close enough to the woman that she could feel his presence yet not feel threatened.

Ororo knew that she should be getting to her feet and be seeing to the others that she had heard Logan talking about, but she could not seem to find the energy. Not only had drowning taken such an exhaustive toll on her body, but she had also felt the water's immense heartache for them as they had allowed it to take their lives. Even as she tried and failed to move her lips and speak, her eyes drifted shut again.

* * *

Xena had already made the rounds of their perimeters and had sat guards in each of the directions. She knew it would not be long. Either the townsfolk would come to find out why their friends had not returned or thieves would show up, hoping to loot the bodies. Either way, it was her nature to be prepared.

She had to laugh when she saw Joxer laying face-first in the ground with his butt up in the air. Knowing him the way she did, she knew he had worn himself out helping. She walked over to him and gently pushed his butt down with a foot. He never stirred.

Autolycus looked up at the woman who he admired more than any other he'd ever encountered, but he could not manage a smile or words even for her. His gaze shifted from her to Joxer who let out a snore that sounded much more like a bear's than a man's before returning to the women.

* * *

From where she stood watching, Gabrielle released a sigh. At least one would live. It seemed to her that one woman's return to life was an opening for the others for it was at that same time that a sharp yip of excitement brought her attention back to the poodle and the woman who he guarded. She started to head toward the dog, who was standing at alert with his paws on his mistress' chest, and the woman, but even as she did so, she was stopped by the sounds of other women starting to come to all around her.

* * *

The first thing Elvira became aware of was the gentle pressure of familiar paws on her chest. "G-Gonk?" she whispered. "Wh-What happened? Th-They didn't get -- ?" She was struggling to speak, and Gonk quickly silenced her with two yips, a technique that they had worked out long ago. She tried to open her eyes, but they still hurt too much from the pressure of the water flooding against them.

"D-Delvira?" she asked in a choked whisper. Her answer came again in two yips, and her pale forehead creased in confusion. "T-Then w-what?" Gonk set off barking then, trying to explain to her how he had ran into Carl and how the Gnome, the strange wolf, and the other Pirates had all joined together to come to her and the others' rescues, but Elvira only shook her head weakly. "Gods, I wish I could understand you better," she whispered, her voice so faint that it could not be heard by human ears.

* * *

Wolf had been walking the perimeter in the opposite direction of what Xena had been walking. He knew they would come and that it was only a matter of time. He did not like being out in the open. Wolves never liked to be out in the open.

He had heard the dog talking to its mistress. He listened but did not hear anything that upset him, so he continued on his rounds. One glimpse of the beautiful woman had got his blood excited. He knew that if he had been in man form, he would have had to leap over there and introduce himself, but for now he would keep his distance. With Xena going one way and he going the other way, he knew they had everything covered.

* * *

She had not known what to expect when she next returned to consconiousness, but the buzzing of unfamiliar, human voices around her had certainly not been it. Her first thoughts were of her family. She had accepted her death while almost in the center of her family's part of the line, but her hands, that had held to Prue's and Phoebe's, were empty. She had to force her eyes to open, and when they had, she instantly regretted it for the harsh rays of the sun that cascaded down upon her. She shut her eyes instinctively at first but forced herself to open them again. This time, she did not shut them but looked around at her surroundings as best she could.

She knew this ground. She had walked down it just a little while ago, and she had picnicked on it with her family for years before. She had not died, but she was, she realized with panicked glances all around her, alone. Her family was nowhere in her sights. She had lived . . . but they had died. Sobs broke instantly from her aching throat, and though it burned, she continued to sob openly, tears flooding her cheeks.

She should have died with them! She should not be here, should not be alive! She should be with them, even if it were rotting at the bottom of the ocean! She did not know what had gone wrong, but it did not matter. Her family was gone from her forever, and she had somehow failed them in their last breaths! In her desperation and grief, she flailed a weak hand in an attempt to strike at what she hated most then -- herself.

* * *

Cole had been on his way back to check the ladies he had rescued when he saw one who seemed to be fighting the air. He went and squatted down beside her. She was one of the ones he had rescued. He caught both of her hands in one of his, successfully stilling her struggles. Her hands were small and helpless, but she was very angry. "Miss?" he asked. "What's wrong? Can I do something to help you? You're safe here."

"I should not be," she responded to the stranger before she could stop herself. "I should not be here. I should not be alive." It was through dark eyes blurred with tears that she looked up at him, and she was startled that the sight of his handsome face and water still shimmering on his muscular chest made her heart skip a beat. "I should be with them," she cried, "with my family." Who was this man? Where had he come from? Was he to be trusted? None of that mattered, however, her heart argued silently with her brain. All that mattered was that her family was gone, that they had died, but she had lived.

"You're not the only survivor. I don't know if your family's here or not. We did the best that we could. Whatever in the world possessed you women to drown yourselves? You should have stood and fought against your enemy, not just walk blindly into the sea! Death does no one any good!"

He did not mean to come across so roughly with her, but this day had just served as a reminder of what had happened to his own family. He still had not been able to figure out why they had not fought. Why had they gone simply into the sea?

"I can help you to look for your family, if you'll allow me to touch you." He figured she probably wouldn't trust him enough to do it. After all, he didn't even have shoes on, and a lady such as herself probably would frown down upon a man such as he was. "I am but a simple pirate, ma'am, but I am here to do what I can to help you." He lowered his hand to her to assist her to her feet.

Her mind was swimming, and her body throbbed from the weight of the water that had pushed so violently against every inch of her hair and skin. Her hazy mind whirled as she tried to grasp at what he was saying. She had been about to answer him when he had declared himself to be a simple pirate there to help her. "A p-pirate?" she repeated in a small, weak voice as she looked up at his offered hand through cloudy eyes. She had always been taught to fear pirates and had never heard of a heroic one such as this man who stood before her, the man who had rescued her . . . and others? Was her family alive? Were they here somewhere? There was only one way to find out, and she reached up to take his hand.

Cole gently pulled her up to him, but though he was gentle and her movements slow, the world still whirled around Piper at a blinding rate as she stood. She managed to make it to her feet but instantly started to collapse against him. Cole's movements were sure and swift as he picked her completely up. Her burning throat ached too much for her to gasp her surprise. Realizing that this was the only way she could move around to look for her family until she had further recuperated, Piper settled into the pirate's strong arms as he began to walk around so that she could look down to see if she recognized any one.

Cole held her so close against his strong chest that Piper could hear his heart beating beneath his muscles, and her own quickened in response. She shook her head weakly, trying to ignore the sound of his heart and the way his arms felt so close around her in such a forbidden embrace, and concentrated instead on making out the bodies that lay on the ground beneath them. Already she had spotted Ororo, Elvira, and Winifred, but she had yet to see any of her family. Silent tears continued to stream down her paled cheeks, and fear that she would not find them shimmered vividly in her brown eyes.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	7. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Angel and Brendan lingered after Jack had left, observing the soldiers. It seemed they had the day off and were wanting to brag and enjoy every second of it. Two wenches came in, bearing trays of food and whiskey, and began to wash the soldiers while the soldiers nibbled on the food and drank the whiskey. The more they drank, the more they bragged to the women, and Brendan and Angel listened with rapt ears.

It seemed that the Governor had paid them a huge sum of money and had given them the rest of the week off to enjoy it, and all they'd had to do was to get rid of one pesky pirate. They did not name names. They didn't need to. Angel immediately knew they were talking about Will, and the fact did not take long to dawn on Brendan either.

Angel congratulated the soldiers on their good fortune but then asked, "I'm dying to know. Did you kill him, and how?"

"Nah."

"We done something even better!"

"If we'd have killed him, she'd have known and caused a stink."

"Instead, we sold him! Got even more money!"

"Want some whiskey?"

"Sure," Angel said with a grin. One of the half-naked wenches rushed off to bring back some more whiskey for Angel and Brendan.

When the whiskey arrived, Angel toasted the soldiers. "Where do you buy and sell people around here?" he asked. "Reckon I could get a woman there?"

"Sure," came the reply, "but you could probably get one here too."

"I'd rather buy one that I can dispense with. I get a little rough, and they don't always make it. I'd hate to get one of these women here and get into trouble for it, but if I buy one, then nobody gives a rat's ass what happens to them."

Though already his eyes were glowing, Brendan held his tongue and let Angel do the talking. He hated the charade they were having to pull but trusted his friend and knew he had a plan or, at least, the beginnings of one.

One of the guards said, "They're having an auction this afternoon. It gets hot and heavy, and you better inspect the merchandise before you buy it. Some of them got disease that you can't tell till you get 'em. It's at the back of the market, a tent, doesn't have any markings on it. You go into the tent, out the back, and you're on a street. It's blocked off. You can buy anything there! Male, female, goats, sheep, whatever your sexual preference for a hefty price, but you better not go alone. There's a lot of desperate men there that'd just as soon slit your throat as they had to look at you."

"Thanks," Angel said. "I'll do that." He continued to linger a while longer as he did not want to make the guards suspicious, and then, with a signal, scratching his left ear while making sure Brendan was looking, they both got out of the tub and began to dress. They had arranged the signal a long time ago for just such tight times as this.

One of the guards looked at Brendan. "Cat got your tongue, son?"

Yellow eyes flicked up at the guard as Brendan suddenly realized that his silence had made the guards suspicious. This was not the first time that his quietness had brought suspicions, and he knew just how to explain it. With a nervous glance at Angel, he made quick motions at his throat.

Angel looked at the guards. "Can't talk. Mute. Ages ago. He was taken by pirates and almost killed."

"Oh, sorry," came the reply. "Hope to see you guys again later. We'll buy you drinks again."

"Sure thing," Angel said as he slipped his dagger into his boot and headed for the door. Once there, he opened it, allowing Brendan to go out first. "They've done something to Will," Angel said. "We have to find Jack. At least he's alive. Hope to the Goddess he's not hurt or Jack will tear this town apart." He headed for Will's blacksmith shop at a run. When he reached it, he saw the door was ajar. He started sniffing right away.

Brendan reached it almost at the same time. He, too, began to smell out the shop. "Not here. Hasn't been for a while, but Jack has been. To the ship, Brendan," Angel said and started running for the ship.

* * *

It was with a heavy heart that the young man opened the door and slipped into the back room of his family's store. As he shut it behind him and leaned against its wooden frame, he wished that it were as easy to shut out the rest of the world. His life had been happy once, full of a loving family and friends, but then everything had changed. Now his mother was always out somewhere, and his father had taken to drinking. The store had fallen onto Dawson's shoulders completely, but that was nowhere near the worst of it. No, the worst of it had came just a few nights ago, and the boy shuddered at the memory. "If you're cold, I can warm ya up."

The strange voice, laden with sultry, husky undertones, brought his head snapping up. His blue eyes flew open only to find themselves looking into a pair of the darkest, most bewitching eyes he'd ever seen. "How'd you get in here?" he demanded.

A coy smile played across dark lips. "You didn't even have your door locked. Not," she added in admission, "that that would've stopped me." She slid off the box she had been sitting on and started toward him.

The way she moved reminded him of a cougar on the prowl, and the sexy way her body, which was barely clad in tight, black leather, shifted as she slid smoothly toward him made his heart skip a beat and then rage with all the loudness of thunder in his ears. "W-Who are you?" he managed to gasp out.

"Name's not important," she purred in answer to his question even as she reached him. She made as if to slam her fist next to his head, but her palm fell silent on the wood. Still, he jumped, and her smile grew at his reaction. "Call me Faith. Call me Dream Weaver. Call me after the little, innocent town girl you've got the hots for. I don't give a damn. I'm not here to play names."

She leaned forward, and he found his betraying eyes gazing down at her arched bosom. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. When he reopened them, he found that she had moved even closer to him, so close indeed that her lips were mere inches from his. He started to slide out from under her, but she blocked him, effectively pinning him to the door with one arm on either side of his quivering body. "Then what are you here for!" he demanded, his mind, blood, and heart all racing at once.

"To make your dreams come true," she growled seductively, her breath brushing over his lips. "For this." Her hand found the rising bulge in his pants. He jumped as she caressed him there, but as his mouth started to open in a sharp exclamation, her lips took his, silencing him.

Dawson Leery had never before met a woman like the one who now stood before him, her body arching into his while her lips drank deeply of his and her hand squeezed his member. Unlike most other men his age, Dawson had never even dreamed of a woman like this. Her first touch had scared him to his core and brought back memories of the other night, but her first kiss made him ache for more.

He still had no ideal what to do with or even about her, though. Part of him wanted to throw all caution to the wind and take this once in a lifetime chance that he, by some unthinkable twist of fate, was being offered, but another part was still scared. What if there was something more to this than she was showing him? What if they were caught? What would happen to his pristine reputation, to his engagement to Josephine? What if his father was the one to walk in on them? He was still quivering as he pressed one hand against her breast, and though he almost lost his nerve at the way her hardened breast felt in his hand, he pushed her away with all the strength he had.

She fell back only a few steps and did not even have to try hard to maintain her balance. Her dark eyes were quickly filling with anger as they looked up at him from underneath a shock of black hair. "Don't tell me you didn't like that," she growled challengingly.

Seeing no reason to lie but not daring to try to speak the truth, either, Dawson gulped even as he shook his head. "Then what," she demanded, "the Hell is your problem!"

"Why?" he managed to ask.

"Why what?" she snapped.

"Why do you want me?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. None of her previous targets had bothered to ask her such a question. She was sure they had probably wondered what would attract a woman such as she to their cowardly hides, but none had ever voiced it. Looking back at the blonde, she lifted her muscular shoulders into a rolling, careless shrug. "I want a ride, and you looked like the best horse this damn port had to offer."

Dawson's mouth fell open at that, and for a moment, he could not think of a response. Then finally, he found his voice again. "I'm . . . not what you think. I'm a virgin."

"I know," she said with a shake of her head and a grin. "I like 'em just your style, boy."

"Don't you even want to know my name?"

She shook her head again while exclaiming, "Hell no!" He started to speak again, but before he could, she had pulled off her shirt, kicked off her boots, and shimmied out of her pants. He could not even think as he stared at the amazing beauty before him, and he was even only vaguely aware of the rising pain in his pants. "Look," Faith told him, holding her arms open wide so that he could get a good look at her. "This is what I'm offering you. A ride of a lifetime with a woman unlike any you've ever known and ever will know. I can teach you things in five minutes -- heck, in a _minute_ -- that you'll never get the chance to learn in the rest of your life. I can make any of your fantasies come true. And there's no strings attached. You'll never even see me again after today."

Dawson was stunned speechless. This all seemed too good to be true. He had to be dreaming, but as she closed the distance between them again and caressed his sword once more, he realized that her touch was too good not to be real. "So what do you say, choir boy? Want some help with that or do you just wanna jack off all by yourself in the corner again?"

No woman had ever invoked the feelings this stranger already had in him. No other woman had ever even heated his blood. Despite his fears, Dawson found himself nodding. Faith had him naked and on the floor before he even knew what hit him.

* * *

They ran for the ship as fast as their feet could carry them, their bodies a near blur to any one who looked up at the passer-bys. Angel's mind was focused only on reaching Jack so that they could find and rescue Will before he could be sold into Gods only knew what, but Brendan remained more alert. The guards had angered the wolf inside the man, and he had been struggling to keep his beast in control ever since the bath house. The wench who had brought their whiskey would realize later that his bottle had gone completely untouched, but none of them would ever realize the danger they had just been in not only from Brendan himself but from his companion, a Vampire, as well.

His senses were already on full alert long before they reached the ships, and a mixture of urgent scents hit his nose even as Angel started to dart up the plank. Brendan quickly reached out and grasped his arm. "Jack's here," he whispered, "but the others aren't. Whatever happened, they left in a hurry. Jack's not alone, either. There's a female I haven't smelled before. She's rich, though, not a harlot or even one of our kind. And Jack's in trouble." With a nod toward the Pearl, he added in explanation, "There's six or seven different smells coming from there besides theirs. Strong men. _Angry_ men. And confusion," he added with a creased brow.

"We should split up and come up at different parts of the ship. Hide and see what's going on," Angel said. "Keep me in your smell and your ears alert. I will send you a signal if we are to attack. Whatever you do, do not endanger Jack." He didn't need to tell him that. Jack was like a brother to both of them. "And don't endanger yourself," he added. That he did need to tell him, because he knew Brendan would take any chance he felt he needed to protect Jack and did not feel his own life worthy of protecting.

He squeezed his arm gently. "We need you, and we do care about you," he emphasized. He had to keep telling Brendan that, because Brendan never felt he was worthy of any one caring. His past life had been such a mess. "Good luck, buddy," Angel whispered. "Listen for an owl." He slipped quietly aboard the Pearl. No one saw him, but he saw them. He heard them. He saw Jack try to fight them and be taken down to his knees, and he growled his frustration. He wanted to attack all of them at one time, but then he saw Brendan also sneaking aboard. Brendan had a better shot. Angel waited. When Brendan attacked, he would attack. He just hoped Brendan had a plan.

Jack had watched the shadows as they turned into two of his most trusted men. He did not give them away, and he did not try to rise. He knew if he did, his jugular would be cut.

* * *

Brendan had taken the hard way up the ship. Instead of just slipping onto it as Angel had done, he had climbed up it while holding his dagger at the ready in between clenched teeth. When he had first reached the top of the side, he had peered over it, but when he had seen Jack in trouble, he had known he had to do something. He stayed with the shadows as he flipped silently over the side of the ship and remained just as quiet as he closed in on the guards.

By the time Brendan had reached nearly directly behind the guards, he had a dagger in each hand, but the wolf was even closer to his surface as he had watched the guards berating the first man who had ever dared to take a chance on his lowly, worthless hide. His yellow eyes were blazing and his fangs glistening when he let out a growl that shook the entire deck of the ship. The guards jumped, letting out screeches that sounded far more feminine than they looked, and he plowed in, bringing the butts of his daggers hard across two heads at once.

* * *

It started with a kiss as Faith again conquered his lips with her own, her tongue plunging farther down into his mouth than he'd thought could ever even be possible. Their tongues twisted and rubbed against each other as they danced in a heated fencing session, but all too soon for Dawson, Faith's mouth left his. Though his red lips were bruised from the intensity of their kiss, they ached for further attention from her. He started to call to her, wondering what she was up to, but even as he remembered that he did not know her name, his words froze in his throat as her tongue ran over his neck.

She littered his tightened throat with kisses and licks that scorched every inch of his lightly tanned skin that she touched. She sucked the base of his neck for a moment before beginning a series of kisses that ran further down his bare chest. The sensations she invoked in his quivering body and the thrills she sent coursing through his blood left him helpless to do anything more than lay back and enjoy every second of this wild beauty's attention.

When she reached his first nipple, she ran her tongue around its outer edge before licking its center and bringing a shudder of delight from her prey. She sucked his hardened nipple into her teeth and nibbled on it. Though it hurt somewhat, he even found the pain immensely enjoyable and gave a soft cry of dismay when she released it. He sighed with pleasure as she then moved on to using the same procedure on his other nipple.

Releasing his left nipple, Faith slid further down his body, raining a series of scorching kisses down his stomach. As she slowly slid over and past his rearing stallion, her taut breasts caught his erected member between them and squeezed tightly. She lowered her head, and her tongue darted out to lick the bit of juice that poured over the edge. His sword quivered as her tongue lapped the beginnings of his nectar not only from its tip but from her own breast, as well.

Dawson was panting hard now, and his sword shook with such speed that Faith knew it would not be much longer now. She slid further down his body so that she was crouched just over his knees and lowered her head. Her tongue tasted of his tender skin as she kissed the inside of his calves, and he let out a yelp of surprise as she suddenly nipped him. Her hands groped his testicles, and she squeezed them slightly even as her mouth returned to his sword.

She kissed its tip before running her tongue all around its sheath. She finally began to lower her lips around his quivering member again, and her teeth gently grazed him as she sucked his tip. Her tongue wrapped around his sword and her teeth grazed his delicate skin there as she lowered her mouth slowly but steadily over his stallion. As she sucked harder, his moans grew louder. Her hands had been caressing his balls, but as she squeezed his testes once again, her liquid reward flooded her mouth.

Her teeth held to his member as his juice filled her mouth and poured down her throat. His yells of delight far beyond anything any of Port Royal's men had ever experienced before shook the windows of the shop and spooked its customers. They dropped whatever they had been holding and ran from the store as if it were possessed by Demons from Hell, but though Faith heard and did not care, the sounds went completely unnoticed by Dawson.

* * *

Angel had been about to jump into the fray when a woman's voice reached his ears. He could see that Brendan had the situation well in hand and that the minute Brendan had attacked, Jack had been released and jumped to his feet, sword in hand, fighting the guards. Angel figured the woman needed rescuing first. He didn't see anything Jack couldn't handle with Brendan's help, but once he had the woman, if they still needed him, he was more than willing and able to kick their butts. "Stand and deliver!" he said to the back of the burly guard who had the woman cornered.

The captain's blue eyes glanced over his muscular shoulder at the stranger who stood behind him. "Stand down, peasant. This does not concern you. This lady is the Princess and my betrothed, and her father wishes her home. Do not attempt further intrusion unless you wish to taste the steel of my blade in your final moments!"

Angel looked frantically around for a sword. The only weapon he had was his dagger. He usually didn't carry a sword, but he knew how to use one expertly and had often fenced with Brendan. He didn't say anything but dodged frantically for the weapons' room and, grabbing the first sword he saw, was back at the captain's side in three shakes of a lamb's tail. He roared, "Turn and face my steel and leave the woman alone! She doesn't seem to want your attentions!" He had moved so quickly that he had been a blur and the soldier had hardly known he was gone before he had returned.

The captain drew his own sword even as he turned to meet the stranger. "I will tell you one final time. This does not concern you."

"I'm making it my concern," Angel said. "You can not treat the woman as though she was your own slave; rather she be a Princess or not doesn't matter! She has a right to choose her own destiny, and apparently she doesn't want you!" He raised his sword and met the captain's sword in mid-air. He fought like a Demon possessed, and in mere seconds later, he had disarmed the captain, throwing his sword over the side of the ship and pressing his own sword against the captain's jugular. "You should've left when you had the chance, ya scurvy swine! Now you're going to meet your maker!"

Frantic hazel eyes had watched the two men's every movement as they had fenced over her destiny, and though she did not wish the man she had known all her life to be harmed, she had desperately wanted the pirate to win for she knew what would happen if he did not. When she saw that he had, her heart had leapt in hope, but terror flooded her soul when she heard the pirate's words and realized that he might not be the hero that she had thought but merely a pirate out to rid his ship of intruders. Knowing that she was putting her own self in danger, she still ran to his side, holding out a hand and exclaiming as she ran, her other hand picking up her dress' skirts so that she did not trip over them. "No! Please, no!" Tears ran down her face even as she reached the pirate and dared to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Please, do not kill him! He would not have harmed me, only forced me to return to my home and do what he thinks is best for me!"

"For you, I will spare him, but if he comes back aboard our ship, he can expect to die." Angel dropped the sword, picked up the captain, and threw him over the side of the ship. "And don't come back!" he said as he brushed his hands together as though he had filth on them.

"Now, my lady," he said as he gave her a rather stiff bow, "I know you are supposed to be a Princess, but it doesn't matter. You have the right to choose where you want to go. If you want to stay, you'll have to see our captain, but if I can help you, I will." He tried to keep himself separate from her as he did not want her to know that he was very desirous of her. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and it had been a long time since he'd had a woman.

"Now I have to help my captain. If you'll stay here, you'll be safe." Angel picked up his sword and leaped downward where he had last seen the fighting only to see Jack booting the last one over the side of the ship.

* * *

Sweat glistened on their naked bodies as they lay together on the hard, wood floor. Knowing the boy needed a bit of time to recuperate, Faith had laid down beside him and had even allowed him to wrap an arm around her body. She was already tiring of waiting now and ran a hand over him, suggestively caressing his lightly muscular chest.

Dawson was still panting hard and all his senses were still whirling from the pleasure he had just experienced from this strange vixen who lay next to him when she started rubbing his chest. "Huh . . . Hum . . . " he started in between pants. "I . . . I can't . . . Not . . . Not yet . . . "

Faith grinned at the words she had known were coming. "That's what you think, lover," she purred to him as she flipped herself up to where she straddled him once more. She ran a hand through his thick mane of blonde hair as she gazed down at him. "Here," she whispered seductively, her voice on the brink of a soft growl, as she leaned back down over him. "Try this."

Dawson opened his mouth to ask her what she wanted him to try and suddenly found one of her breasts in his mouth. He was so surprised that he closed his lips around it without even thinking. Her breast already tasted so sweet that he couldn't help giving it a lick, and a sigh of pleasure broke from her dark lips as his tongue ran over her nipple. Slowly, Dawson began to suck her breast, and his staff instantly began to respond and rise back up. As his suckling grew harder, Faith caressed his chest, her fingernails playing across his skin like other women's fingers might play a well-tuned instrument.

* * *

Jack was rewarded with a satisfying smack as the soldier hit the dock. "That one won't be coming back any time soon. Thanks, my friends, for the timely rescue."

The fighting had brought the wolf even more to Brendan's front, and he was barely able to hold it back. As the others talked around him, he stood, looking in horror at his hands that were covered in blood that was not his own. During the midst of the fight, Jack had had to take one of the guards from him and thrown him into the water, and Brendan had nearly lashed out at his captain when he had done so. His chest heaved, and already his skin itched. He could feel the howl building in his throat even as he hit his own head with all his strength. Brendan fell onto the deck and slid against it until his head collided with the side of the ship. The last thing he heard before unconsciousness took him was a startled, feminine gasp from above.

Jack realized that Brendan had knocked himself out. He was not afraid of the wolf. He was not afraid of the man. He cared about the man, and he realized that the wolf was a valuable ally but that sometimes he got out of control. This time, he had not killed any one, but he had really torn them up. They would not be coming back. He reached down and touched Brendan's head gently. He knew Brendan could not hear him as he thanked him again. He'd thank him when he woke up. He was thankful for Brendan, Angel, and most of his crew. He had a few he didn't really appreciate yet. They were still not completely family, but these two definitely were.

He turned startled eyes toward the female. He had known she was up there and that Angel had gone to rescue her, but he had not expected her to turn out so beautiful. Even though he could recognize her beauty, she did not do anything for him, but he could tell Angel was enamoured already. He wondered if Angel had vamped and bit the captain even though he realized that Angel was in better control of his Demon than Brendan was. Angel's clothes were in tact, so Jack figured he had not.

Jack now looked at the woman. With a bow, he said, "Welcome aboard, Your Majesty. Captain Jack Sparrow at your service. What can we do to help you?"

Angel moved over to check on Brendan. He wondered if he should carry him to the sleeping quarters but then realized he didn't want to leave the woman alone with Jack. He knew Jack had quite the reputation with the ladies, and he didn't want to take a chance of losing his new charge to Jack. He could move Brendan later if need be.

As she looked down at the two handsome men and the third who had, for some bizarre reason, knocked himself out, she wondered a million things. She wondered who they were and why they had rescued her. She wondered if her rescuer's telling her bethrothed not to return would do any good or if her begging for his life would only assure that he would continue to come after her instead. As she realized that she was looking down at the trio, she also wondered how in the world she had managed to get herself up as high as she had. "Th-Thank you," she called down to them. "Y-You've already done so much. How can I ever possibly repay you?" As she listened for their answers, she started to climb down, never realizing the view her dress, with its low cut and side slit, afforded them.

Jack did not watch as the woman descended but turned to check on Brendan. Angel's eyes were glued to her shapely legs and ankles. He found himself almost salivating. Assuring himself that Brendan was only sleeping, Jack turned back to the Princess. "Do not worry about repaying us, Your Majesty. You owe us nothing, but we do have to do something about your would-be abducters. We didn't kill any of them, but we did hurt the heck out of them. It won't keep them for long. Your would-be intended will get another group and come back again. We can't leave port right now, so it's only a matter of time before they will return. Is there somewhere that we can take you perhaps that you'll be safe?"

Hazel eyes looked down at the captain as he spoke to her, but the simple act was her undoing for her foot slipped from its place even as she was trying to make her way down. With a gasp, she found herself falling.

Angel leaped toward her and caught her in mid-air, bringing her back down with him to the ship's deck. He held her a moment longer than necessary before allowing her to slide down his body to the deck, never saying a word but gazing deeply into her eyes. Damn, but she was beautiful! If he was anything more than a lowly pirate, he would dare to make a move on her. As it was, he was enjoying every second of being in her presence.

The strong arms that had suddenly wrapped around her and whisked her to the deck's safety had caused her heartbeat to quicken and stolen her breath. Though she knew she shouldn't, she relished the feel of the stranger's arms around her and found his dark eyes and handsome face even more bewitching. The feel of his hardened body as she slid down him made her heart thunder at the speed of lightning and filled her body with feelings unlike any she'd ever known before. Her arms had somehow ended up around his neck, and even now, though the fingers of one hand gently rested on his cheek, she was hesitant to move them.

* * *

She could feel his rising sword from where she straddled him, and as he grew stiff enough once more, she pulled back slightly from him. A sound of wordless complaint broke from Dawson's lips as Faith brought her breast out from his mouth. She silenced him with a kiss before sliding back down his body. She lifted herself over his member, and he gave a cry of mixed pleasure and pain as she lowered herself down his staff. She did not stop until he completely filled her and then began to rise up and down on his sword.

Her smile grew with pleased approval as she found that he was not as timid this time around as he had been when she had granted him the blowjob. His hands reached up and, taking one of her arched breasts in each hand, he began to caress her taut skin. He squeezed her gently. His fingers and palms caressed her bosom, and his thumb ran circles over her hard nipples.

He leaned forward to meet her, sending his sword plunging even higher up into her sheath, and her lips were waiting for his when he reached her. She let him do the leading of their kiss this time as his lips touched down upon hers. His tongue quested permission between her teeth, and she welcomed him into her contours. As their tongues danced, his hands slid from her breasts to her back. They caressed her skin as they slid down the small of her back before cupping and squeezing her buttocks.

She had continued to slide herself up and down his staff, and as his bucking grew and she continued to ride him, her arms wrapped around his torso, bringing his body even tighter against hers. In between their heated kisses, as their lips had to break apart for gasps of oxygen, their cries of pleasure grew until they rattled the very windows of the shop. She squeezed his staff, and as he shot up into her and they cried out together, her figernails scratched his back, marking him as hers. The mark would turn out to last much longer than either had ever intended.

* * *

Jack, noticing the play between Angel and the Princess, spoke. "I have a lot of things I have to take care of. Angel, I am putting you in charge of the Princess." He heard a low moan and looked down to see that Brendan was stirring. "I have to find Will. Some one has taken him. If they've hurt him, I'll kill them!"

Brendan was only barely aware of Jack speaking from somewhere above him as he began to come to, but the Captain's voice reminded the Princess that she was not alone with this handsome, heroic pirate who was also a stranger to her. Though he had saved her life and rescued her twice now, she still did not even know his name. Crimson flooded her cheeks as she forced herself to step back from him.

Angel was lost in the scent of the woman. It was heavenly, and he had not had a woman in a long time. Thanks to Jack, Angel was able to go about in the daytime. He did not know how Jack had achieved it, but Jack had gained an amulet that, once placed on Angel's neck, gave him the ability to go out in the daylight. That had been over a year ago, and Angel had not had a woman in all that time. His loins let him know that now, but at Jack's words, he sobered himself and released the woman. "We know what happened to Will. He's alive, but he's been sold and is going to be auctioned. We know where it's going to take place."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Will was alive. "Do you know where he's being held?"

"Yes," Angel said. "Brendan and I will go with you."

"No," Jack said. "Brendan will go with me. You need to stay here and take care of the Princess."

"Jack . . . " Angel said in a strange voice. "That might not be such a good ideal."

"It's not a good ideal for you to bring the Princess to an auction . . . " Jack started only to be interrupted by Brendan who was finally sitting up.

As he had been breaking through to return to consciousness, Brendan had listened to Jack's and Angel's voices above him. He could smell the racing of Angel's heart and hormones, as well as the Princess', but nonetheless had to agree with Jack. "And it's a worse idea to leave her with a wolf."

"The others will not return for quite a while," Jack said. "They had to go on a rescue mission. I could use their help, but until they return, we are all there is. If you can't control yourself, Angel, maybe you should let the Princess lock herself in my cabin? Stay seperated from each other." He, too, could tell there was something going on between them.

Women! They were always in heat, and men were always wanting to enrage the beginning flames in hopes that the fire would consume both of them! He had sought that himself, but no matter how many women he had bedded, none of them had managed to put out his flames. He shook himself mentally. He was having to come face to face with something he had feared was happening to him for a long time. He feared the only one who could put out his flames was Will, and he knew that the chance of that was about as good as a snowball in Hell surviving.

"Lock yourself in!" he said. He had once heard a doctor describe to a woman a way of keeping her legs tied together but thought better of telling the Princess. She might take him to be a very crude man indeed, and Jack really wasn't when concerned with women. "Just give me a moment," he ran into his quarters and searched around in his dresser drawer until he came up with a hefty sack of gold coins just in case he needed it to buy Will. There was more than enough gold in there to outbid any one in this Gods-forsaken town of Port Royal, including the Governor.

He had been about to take part of it, pay another old friend a visit, and order another sword. He had been doing that for a long time. Miles had been placing orders with Will, paying him in Jack's gold, and giving the swords to Jack. He had quite a few of them hanging on his walls. He was proud of each and every one of them. Will was quite the craftsman, but he had no ideal that it was Jack who was buying the swords. In fact, Will was becoming rich making Jack's swords though never knowing that Jack was getting them.

Jack had wanted to just give the gold to Will out right, but he knew that Will would not accept it. He thought himself to be very clever in getting the gold to Will. He put the gold into a pouch and slung it over his shoulder. He picked up one of the swords and replaced his every-day sword with it. This was a special sword; it was extremely strong for longer duels and overly sharp. He would take great pleasure in using it against any one who had touched his Will.

Straightening his clothes and cleaning up his appearance, he slipped his hat on his head and stepped back out. "Are you able to travel yet, Brendan? And you may use my cabin now, Princess." He figured when he got back, Angel and she would be wrapped up together, but he was not overly concerned with it at the moment.

Brendan had nodded and started to answer Jack, but the Princess had spoken more quickly than he. Though she wondered why the captain was offering her his cabin for she had not eavesdropped on the men's conversation out of the manners that had been trained into her throughout her entire life, she did not ask him about that but merely nodded. "Thank you, Captain, though, please, sirs," she added in indication that she was speaking to all three, "there is no crown on my head nor do I wish there to be. My royal title is part of the life that I do not wish to have to return to. Please call me Cordelia."

Jack nodded and lowered his hand to Brendan. "If you think about somewhere that you want to go while we're gone, you can tell us when we return. Angel will guard you and make sure no one disturbs you. I would suggest you rest. Angel, when the others return, have them get ready to leave. It is not safe for Will to be here, and I want to get the Hell out of here. I'm taking him with us."

Angel said, "I will tell them, and we will be ready." He was surprised Jack had managed to clean up so quickly and thought he looked rather dashing.

Brendan accepted Jack's offered hand and the captain's assistance in aiding him to return to his feet. He started to bow to the Princess but stopped himself as he realized that that, too, would be part of the life she was seeking to put behind her. Instead, he tipped his head with a polite, "Madam," as he would have to any other woman and turned to leave.

"Lead me quickly to Will," Jack said. "We will do what we must, but we will not leave there without him." Without another word, Brendan took off and Jack followed.

* * *

As they lay together afterwards in the glow of the glorious love-making they had just experienced together, Dawson found himself wishing that the moment could last forever. Though he still did not have any inkling of her name, the woman he currently held in his arms had filled him completely and had not only already made him feel more pleasure than he'd ever dreamed possible but had also made him happier than he'd ever been in his entire life. He opened his mouth to ask her again for her name, but it was at just that time that he heard his own called from inside the shop. "Dawson?"

"Oh God," the words slipped out before he could stop them, and her dark eyes slanted questioningly up at him. "It's my Father," he explained. She saw the fear on his face and heard the terror in his voice but did not bother to ask him why his father's voice would bring such a reaction from him. Instead, she rolled out of his arms and started for her clothes.

He reached up to her and managed to grab her hand. She looked down at him, her glare demanding an explanation. "Please," he whispered, "don't . . . " He was so shocked at the harsh emotions that flashed in her eyes, telling him that what they had just shared meant nowhere near as much to her as it did to him, that he released her hand.

Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and Dawson's mouth moved in a silent gasp as he realized that he had not even bothered to lock the door. He rolled to a standing position and nearly fell over his own feet as he rushed to snatch his clothes back on. He was still struggling to button his pants with trembling fingers as the door was opened with such force that its slamming against the wall echoed through the store.

Dawson dared a glance at his father, and a wave of horror hit the young man at the angry glower on his father's reddened face. He glanced at where his wild beauty had been, but she was gone and the back door hung open, still swinging in the breeze, from where she had fled through it. "D-Dad," Dawson stuttered, looking back up at his father. "I-I can explain!"

"No need to," Mitch Leery snapped as he strode purposefully into the room. "It's pretty _damn_ obvious, Dawson, and just what I thought I'd find. You won't give your dear, old dad the _one_ thing he asks from you, so you go out, pick up some _whore_, bring her back here, and **_fuck_** her in **_my store_**!" he roared. "It wasn't even that _damn_ Josephine that your _stupid bitch_ of a mother set you up with, **_was it_**!" he demanded. Dawson shrank back from his approaching father. He could smell the alcohol on his breath even from that distance. "**_Answer me, boy!_**" Mitch demanded, his eyes blazing.

"N-No," Dawson whimpered in response. He tried to back further away, but his father reached out, grasped him by the shoulders so hard that his grip would leave marks, and snatched him to him.

"You're **_mine_**, Dawson," Mitch hissed in his face, his foul breath spraying spit across his son's face. "_All mine!_ But if I can't have you, I'll just _sell_ your sorry butt!" With that, he turned and threw his own flesh and blood so that the boy landed in front of four other strong, burly men.

Dawson's terrified heart roared inside his chest as he looked up at the four men who towered above him. He'd never seen any of them before, but as he heard his father telling him that he was theirs for the sum they'd agreed upon, he knew what was going to happen to him. He also realized, or so he thought, that his life was over. The one thing Dawson failed to realize was that he had hit his head on the door at such an angle that blood was beginning to trickle from the wound. His world suddenly grew dark, and the last thing Dawson saw before he passed out was his father accepting money from one of the traders who stood over him.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	8. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

She fled through the city as fast as her legs could carry her, the skirts of her dress a bustle amongst her legs as she held them up over her ankles to keep from falling over them. Though she ran through streets she'd always thought were safe, her heart pounded in her chest so hard that its beating rang in her ears and her chest ached as her lungs fought her fear to take what breaths they managed to gasp.

Her terrified mind whirled. She could not believe what had just happened. She had always known that her father had never approved of Will, but she had never dreamed that he would sink so low as to even hurt her beloved, let alone have those gruesome guards, the two she knew he only used for his dirtiest, most secret missions and who she had seen talking with him the day before, sell poor Will into slavery! Even now, she knew her own father's guards were after her, and she fully believed that not only Will's but her own life as well were in danger. If they were to catch her, she would never make it to Jack and Will would never be saved. There was no telling what would happen to her.

Her thoughts blinded her to the ground ahead, and Elizabeth suddenly found herself spiraling forward, having tripped over a rock. She reached out and, groping desperately, managed to catch hold of a hard piece of wood. She used it to regain her balance before she could fall the rest of the way but only looked at it after she was standing full and erect once more. What she saw made her gasp in shock and her blood run cold for before her stood a huge bonfire with stakes in its center.

A voice answered her gasp, startling her even more. "It's a beaut, isn't it? The men worked hard on that one."

Elizabeth looked over to the portly woman, and her fear and surprise grew as she recognized her. She could scarcely believe that the woman who now looked at this horrid construction with such awe was the same woman who taught the church's children their Bible studies, the same woman who Elizabeth herself had often gone to as a child for she had known she'd always have a plate of cookies and a glass of milk waiting for any child who wondered into her shop.

"It's going to be lovely to see them fry."

Elizabeth struggled to find her voice but finally succeeded enough to ask in a hushed whisper, "W-Who?"

"Why, the Witches, of course. Those daughters of Satan have been a disgrace to our town ever since they started coming here, and it's long past time they paid for their sins."

Elizabeth had studied the woman's eyes and face as she had been talking, and she now felt faint at the realization that Mrs. Brown, who she'd always thought was such a kind and gentle woman, was truly looking forward to seeing human beings burned alive. "Don't you think so, Miss Swann?" Mrs. Brown asked, but though her tone was gentle, her eyes were narrowed in suspicion. Elizabeth's mind whirled as she tried to think of some response that would not place her into even further danger, but a sudden shout made both women look up.

"There she is!" a guard called, pointing at Elizabeth whose hood had fallen off when she'd fell forward moments before. Elizabeth did not look again at Mrs. Brown; instead, she took off running with the guards in hot pursuit. It was a long time before she managed to elude them again, but finally she did, turning onto an empty street and ducking into a dark alley before they could round the bend. She watched from where she had plastered herself to the wall, not even daring to breathe, as they ran past.

* * *

As Jack followed closely behind Brendan, his attention was drawn to the bustling activity going on in the town square. For a moment, he wondered if perhaps they were in response to the skirmish that had just taken place aboard his ship, but upon noticing their clothes, he realized that they were part of the Governor's soldiers and not the Royal Guard. What could be afoot? Then he saw that they were building what appeared to be a huge framework for a gigantic bonfire. Recalling what he had seen earlier, he figured that either the Governor planned to barbecue Witches or Pirates. It didn't matter which for Jack had no intention of letting either happen.

"Brendan," he whispered, "don't do anything to draw attention to us." He had barely gotten the words out when somebody ran into him, and he began to fall. Brendan had already been realizing the same thing that his Captain had when a blur of black and white collided with Jack. Quickly reaching out, Brendan's hand caught Jack's back, steadying him, even as a familiar voice lashed out at them.

"Watch where the Hell yer -- " she started but stopped abruptly upon seeing exactly who had been in her way. "Sparrow?" she asked, already wondering what he and the Pearl's doctor were up to.

"Faith? Where? What?" With her, Jack knew it could be anything. She had activities that he didn't want to know anything about. Recovering himself rather quickly, he thanked Brendan for the swift rescue. "We are off to rescue Will who is in danger of being sold in auction," he told Faith in a low, quiet voice. "Whatever you do, do not draw attention to yourself. The Governor's planning a huge barbecue," he said the latter with a tinge of anger. He hoped she'd pick up on what he was trying to tell her.

"Why should you care?" she asked before feigning a look of shock. "Oh, yeah. I forgot. You actually do care." She shook her head, then returned to the business at hand. "As for your boy, I just had my victory, so I guess I can help you there." She shrugged, but there was a dangerous glimmer in her eyes as she added with a dark, mischievous grin, "I can always use a bit more action."

"Lead on, Brendan," Jack said. "I hope it will not take us much longer. I don't want to linger here. There is danger all around, and I feel as though it's closing a noose around my neck." His left index finger snuck up and loosened his shirt around his neck as though to prevent him from choking.

Faith rolled her eyes at the Pearl's Captain. "There's always danger. Long as you're living, there's shitt just waiting to hit the fan." She quirked a brow at him as she added, "I'd think you'd be used to that by now, _Captain_."

Brendan just shook his head at the girl's attitude. He knew better than to try to speak to her. Faith never seemed to get along with any one, and they didn't have time to get into an argument over the ethics, manners, and respect she lacked. Instead, he resumed the path that the guard had told Angel to take.

Jack was remembering when the noose had been tightened around his own neck and Will had saved him. It still gave him nightmares. "I know we live in danger constantly, Faith," he replied, "but I am never one to consciously seek it out unless there is booty to be gained. There is no booty this time. Just death, and a wise man knows when to walk away. If you don't want to go with us, you can return to the ship. We will be sailing within a couple of hours. If you want to come, we will welcome your assistance." He knew not what lay before them, but there was no way he was going to walk away and leave Will. This time, Will was coming home with him.

"Good thing I'm not a man then, ain't it, Cap?" she smirked up at him even as she fell in step beside him. Despite the attitude she cocked even with him, Jack Sparrow was the only man to ever have won her admiration. However, that was just one more secret she kept to herself as she treated him the same as every one else. The only one on either ship she actually showed respect to was her own Captain, Xena. "You know I never turn down the chance to kick butt," she added.

"You're one Hell of a woman, Faith, and I hope we never cross blades. I admire you and would hate to have to kill you one day." They had been walking the entire time they had been talking, and they had now gone outside the sight of the guards.

She chuckled deep within her throat, a sound that made her enemies cringe with fear of what this insane woman was going to do to them next. "Keep telling yaself that, Sparrow, but you're right. I'd hate to have to kill _you_."

She had just glanced over at Jack to see the reaction her response took from him when she saw a hand suddenly reach out from an alley they were passing. The hand was headed for Jack, but before either man could move, Faith had not only slapped the hand away but had dived into the alley, slammed the cloaked stranger against the wall, and had the blade of her dagger already pressed against a delicate, white throat.

"It's me!" the stranger cried out in a panicked voice that all three instantly recognized.

"Oh, it's Little Miss Priss," Faith snarled, clearly disgusted, as she released Elizabeth. "Better watch that. Next time you touch the Captain, you're bound to lose your life."

"I already have," Elizabeth spoke quietly as she turned toward Jack. She looked up at him with tears swimming in her blue eyes. "It's Will. Father . . . " Her sentence hung unfinished as she was having trouble bringing herself to admit the horrible thing that her own father had done to her beloved.

Jack had taken Faith's comment in stride. He knew deep down, she was loyal to him, and he was glad of it. Elizabeth, however, had taken him by surprise. He had not expected to find her out here, on her own, disguised as a peasant. "I know what your father has done to Will. We're on our way to rescue him now. Elizabeth, when I get him, I'm taking him away from here. He's not going to want to go, but I'm taking him any way. It's not safe for him here any longer. Your father seems to have become a raving lunatic. Have you noticed the activity in the square?"

She nodded, choking down the emotions that welled in her throat as she did so. "I will not try to talk you out of taking Will from here, though we were to be wed today. I have only one request." She tilted her face so that her begging eyes looked directly up into his. "I want to go too. Please, Jack! I can not stay here!"

He took a deep breath. He didn't hate Elizabeth. In fact, he had to admire her courage. He did resent her, however, for she was the one that had Will's love, something he longed for but knew he'd never have. "I'll take you, Elizabeth, under one condition. You leave here and go straight to my ship. Do not follow us, and do not return home. Whatever you have there can be replaced. If you go back, your father will capture you, and I will not endanger Will to rescue you, savvy?"

She nodded slowly. She had had no intention of ever returning home, even if Jack had not agreed to take her. She wanted to see Will, though. She wanted to know that he would be okay. She wanted to be there with them so that she would be certain they would not fail to rescue her beloved. As she looked into Captain Sparrow's eyes, however, she remembered how deeply he cared for Will. The two were closer than brothers, and she knew that he would stop at nothing to rescue him. She took a deep breath before answering simply, "Agreed."

"Go swiftly, and let Angel know when you're there. Right now, he's the only one aboard. He will keep you safe till we return." He caught her chin and lifted it to look into her eyes. "I mean it, Elizabeth. Do not follow us in there. You're not a fighter. You can endanger Will. I want your absolute promise on this. No tricks." He knew she was fully capable of saying one thing and doing the other. He didn't want her endangered, and he didn't want to have to tell Will that she was dead because she followed him. "Do I have your promise?"

"Yes," she agreed a second time without hesitation. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. She could not help them to fight, and her presence would only distract them from rescuing Will. It might even place them all in even greater danger. After all, what man would not want to bid on her beauty?

Jack released her. "Go quickly." She did just as he said, taking her skirts in her hands and rushing off. She did her best to keep to the shadows as she headed swiftly for the dock.

As soon as Elizabeth was out of sight, Jack continued walking toward the tent that he could now see. "This is it," he said. "Good luck to all of us." Upon reaching the tent, he lifted the flap and walked through the tent into a street crowded with filthy, stinky men commingling with clean men who appeared to have some money. He glanced around, realizing that there truly were all kinds of buyers on the street.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the ocean's edge, Xena was getting antsy. She knew their time was running out. She knew that soon they would be overrun by the townspeople looking for their friends who had not returned. She moved closer to Gabrielle. "How long do you think it can be before we can move every one to safety?" she asked.

Gabby sighed softly, a small breath of air that told Xena she shared her feelings but was also still concerned about the survivors and those who had yet to awaken. "They're not even all awake yet, but the ones who are, even if they're still too weak to walk on their own yet, should still be able to be carried."

"We have to do something to move them to the safety of the ships soon, Gabby. You and I have both seen this kind of mess before. We did what we could then, but we have never rescued so many at one time. I am going to look for transportation. I will return as soon as I find something." She leaned forward and kissed Gabby's lips gently. "Love you. See you soon."

"I love you, too, Xena, but be careful," Gabrielle told her as her green eyes gazed into the baby blues of the woman she loved. "The townspeople are probably already on the look-out. The group we took care of were just the ones who were sent after them. They'll be getting the bonfires ready, and they'll be just as happy to barbecue pirates as they are Witches."

She smiled one last time at Gabby even as she headed off in Wolf's direction. She soon reached his side. Wolf came to attention in front of the Captain; he knew she had something of importance to tell him. "I am going to find something we can use to transport these people to the ships. Stay alert, and don't take any chances. You know how the crew is. They've just had a fight. Now they're ready for other things. Their minds are not as alert as ours." She hated to leave Wolf alone, but she knew he was quite capable of handling it. He nodded at her, and she turned and left, heading in the direction she thought she had seen a farm earlier.

No sooner had she left than the strange poodle with the stranger haircut appeared in Wolf's face. "What do you want?" Wolf asked in canine language.

"Elvira," Gonk yipped. "I can't talk to her, but you can and she has to have some one who can tell her what's going on." His dark eyes shone with determination as he looked up at the wolf who was much larger than he in his poodle form. "I saw you. You have man form. You can talk to her."

"I am a man-wolf," Wolf said proudly. "I will be more than happy to talk to your mistress." He had seen her earlier and was definitely attracted to her, but one thing stood in the way. What if she was mated already? "Is she mated?" he asked.

Gonk cocked his head to one side as he studied the wolf, unsure of why he asked such a question. "No forever mate," he finally yipped in reply.

"Good," Wolf replied. He changed quickly into his man form and walked over to where the woman was standing just in time to catch her as she fell.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	9. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Gonk had left her in such a rush that Elvira had no ideal what had gotten into him. Her forehead was creased with worry as she called out to him, but no answer came. Her black eyes shifted in every direction as she tried desperately to catch sight of him, but all she could see were the other bodies that lay all around her. Each was of a woman she had known, and though it pained her to see their cold, lifeless forms, she was far more worried about Gonk.

Once she had tried calling to him some more but still had not received any response, Elvira began to try to push herself to her feet. Her legs and hands trembled from exhaustion as she forced herself first to a sitting position and then to a standing one. As she placed her full weight on her feet, however, a tremor of pain shot through her body, and she started to fall.

She became aware of a new scent, the heady, delicious scent of a man, even as strong arms caught her and just barely kept her from falling. Instead, she leaned back into a sturdy chest. "Ma'am, it's too soon for you to be up, trying to move around. You've been through a bad ordeal."

His voice, despite the concern it held, was just as sensual as his scent and the feel of his hard body against hers. Though she was tired and weak, her body still responded as she leaned back into his chest. Trailing a hand across his cheek, her fingertips thrilling at the feel of his slight stubble underneath, she found her eyes looking up into the most mesmerizing pair of eyes she had ever seen. "Who are you?" she whispered, her throat aching even as she breathed the words.

"My name is Wolf. My people and I have rescued your people. We will protect you and get you to safety, but for now, please rest." She did not struggle as he laid her gently on to the ground, but her body remained tense with worry.

"Gonk," she managed to get out. "My . . . " she started to clarify, but he broke her off.

"Your friend will watch over you as will I. Can I get anything for you?" Her voice was as beautiful as she was, and his ears thrilled to its sound.

At Wolf's words, Elvira finally managed to tear her eyes away from his, and she found Gonk sitting beside him, looking at her with deep worry in his eyes. She reached out and gently scratched the puff of wool on his forehead. "We'll have to fix your moehawk again later," she told him, a small smile playing over her black lips despite everything.

Gonk yipped, but the sound was not in response to Elvira's statement though she thought it to be. Instead, it was his way of thanking Wolf even as he licked his mistress' hand.

Elvira looked back up at Wolf though she continued to use what little physical strength she had to stroke her poodle. "You . . . said your name was Wolf?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am, and, ma'am, I'm a Pirate, but you don't need to fear us. We will not hurt you. In fact, we've already rescued you from your attackers. Whatever did you do to earn their wrath?" he asked as he sat beside her on the ground, his mind ever alert for danger.

"Well, for once, it wasn't just my being a bitch," she told him impishly. "They were after us because of our religion." Thanks to the special blood that ran through her veins, Elvira was already beginning to feel more like herself. Her eyes met Wolf's again as she reached up and ran a hand slowly up his chest. "I'd ask if you were a good wolf or a bad wolf," she tried to purr up at him, "but since you and your crew saved us, the answer to that is already pretty obvious."

"I've been known to be bad on occasion," Wolf returned in a low, sensual voice. He did not move away from her hand. Her mere touch had sent him up in flames. When was the last time he had actually mated? he wondered. He had been in port a little over six weeks ago, and he had not mated then. He had not had a chance to mate yet this time. He shook himself mentally. He did not want to miss a second of this gorgeous woman. The wolf in him sensed that she was more than she appeared to be. "I figured it was some kind of religious persecution, but whose brilliant ideal was it to drown all of you? Why didn't you just stand and beat the crap out of them?" He gazed searchingly into her black, limpid pools and felt that he was drowning, and this time, he didn't want to be saved.

As Wolf had been pondering, Elvira's hand had worked further up his chest. She almost drew it back, however, at the question that sobered her, but his skin felt so good underneath her palm that she let her hand linger on his shoulder instead. "It's . . . not always that easy," she told him quietly. "We could have stood and fought. We might have stood a chance had help came in time, but otherwise, we would have been surrounded and outnumbered _and_ our fighting would have made things worse for others of our kind. It would have given them an actual reason to hate us, to fear us, to _kill_ us. We were going to leave, but they didn't make it here in time." Her eyes were sad as she explained, "We decided to accept our fates and take our lives in the water rather than letting them take us. Not only would they have tortured secrets out of us to use against others of our kind, but, like I said, it would have made them go after our sisters even harder."

Wolf had been about to make a remark when he heard a throat being cleared. Looking up, he realized Wesley had snuck up on them. Wesley had been walking around, hunting for Xena. "Where's Xena?" he asked Wolf.

"Gone for transportation."

"Who's guarding us?"

"I am."

Wesley gave him a most disbelieving look. "Really? From where you are? Looks to me like you're guarding something else."

Wolf glared angrily up at him and almost growled at him. "I will return again. If you need anything, miss, send Gonk for me. Wesley, you take up the other perimeter." He got reluctantly to his feet, looked back down at her, and winked. "I will return, sweet lady."

Elvira's black eyes had torn into the man who had interrupted them, but none of that anger or frustration showed in her eyes as she gazed up at Wolf. "My pumpkins and I will be waiting," she assured him in a seductive voice that hovered somewhere between a purr and a lustful growl. "Just don't be too long. A girl gets lonely, you know?" she added with a playful wink. She heard the sound Wesley made in his throat, but she ignored the party pooper.

Taking her hand as he stood, he sniffed the back of it but maintained eye contact. Then he turned it over and licked her right in the center of her palm. "Think about me, sweet lady, while I'm gone. I shall return." He sprinted off at a quick pace to resume his guard duty, all the while thinking of how sweet she tasted and how he would like nothing better than to gobble her up.

Elvira sighed as she watched him go, her heart still fluttering and delicious chills and thrills still shooting through her heated body from his lick. "What a man . . . " she whispered, her breath heavy with the lust that filled her prone body. She could feel eyes upon her and turned to find a shocked Wesley still looking at her. "Can I help you?" she questioned him. He started to shake his head, and her eyes and fangs flashed at him as she retorted, "Then get on about what Wolf told you to do!"

Wesley gulped but nonetheless managed to squeak out, "Of course, madam." He hurried off even as he wondered just what in the world they had rescued in that strange, pale-skinned woman that Wolf was so clearly panting after.

Wesley was in such a hurry to escape the strange woman that he failed to look where he was going and stumbled right onto Joxer, who still lay sprawled out, face down, on the ground. Wesley's boots striding across Joxer's back woke the other man. Wes jumped and looked down when Joxer yelled, but before he could get off of him, Joxer had rolled, sending Wesley tumbling to the ground. He hit Joxer with such force that the two rolled straight into Autolycus. Arms and legs entangled, and angry, frustrated voices rose sharply into the air as the three struggled against each other.

Wolf heard the racket and turned to look at the three of them. He could not see what had caused the commotion as it was all over. "Look lively, mates!" he called to them. "No time for squabbling amongst yerselves!"

The three in question looked sheepishly back up at Wolf before separating and scampering off to their separate places. Wesley continued checking on survivors, Joxer hunted Gabrielle quickly to see if he could be of assistance, and Autolycus took off, still smelling around for a woman. Not a word was spoken by either of them, but they continued to glance balefully at each other. None but Wesley knew what caused the whole thing. Wes was terrified of the strange woman and could not wait to tell Wolf of her reaction! Just exactly what is she? he wondered and came to the conclusion that he really didn't want to know.

* * *

Katrina had been looking for her sister for a while but could not see her anywhere. She ran across Morph and Tom, who were soaking wet, sitting with tears streaming down their faces. Fear gripped her heart. Could something have happened to her sister, Celina? "Morph? Tom? What's wrong?" she asked in a trembling voice.

Tom looked up at his wife with deep sorrow writhing in his eyes. "Every one . . . " he spoke slowly, his head shaking once from side to side. "Every one . . . just . . . dead . . . "

"We couldn't do it, Katrina," Morph added, looking up at his sister-in-law with brown eyes that were just as sad as Tom's green eyes. "We didn't manage to save a single one."

"You did your best, boys, and that's all that any one expects of you. Look around you. We saved a lot, and even though they were already dead, you rescued their bodies for their families. Come here," she said, looking at both of them, and when they had risen, she hugged them both. "Remember what you saw here today. I know it's hard on both of you. I've seen it before, and it's just as hard on me. Any time life is senselessly wasted, it breaks your heart." She squeezed them gently, let them go, and then asked, "Have you seen Celina?"

Morph instantly came to alert at his wife's name. "No," he started, worry creeping into his face and voice.

"We thought she was with you," Tom added.

"Why?" Morph asked.

"Haven't seen her in a while. I've been looking for her, but I can't find her anywhere." It was then that her keen hearing picked up splashing in the water, and she turned to look down into the ocean. Catching sight of her sister, she called, "Celina! What are you doing in there?"

Morph knew the answer even before she called it back in return. "I know they're heartless bastards, Katrina, but their families still deserve to know what happened to them!" She had morphed an extra pair of arms and was currently hauling out two Christians at once.

"Boys, there's your live one to rescue. Pull her up out of there. Celina, we will get the bodies out or, at least, I hope the guys will," she said, looking at them hopefully. "But you and I have other work to do. Guys, will you take care of it? Get all the bodies out. Don't even leave the males, because we don't know who were Witches and who were not."

As Katrina had been talking, Morph had ran down to the edge of the water where he had not only taken the Christians from Celina and thrown them onto the shore but had also helped her to get out of the water. He held her in his arms, she resting her head on his shoulder and he burying his face in her long, ebony hair, for just one moment stolen amongst all the heartache and tragedy that had taken place already that day.

Tom still stood beside Katrina, and he placed a gentle, reassuring hand on his wife's shoulder. Her words had dried his tears, though his heart remained heavy and there was no sign of his typically jovial mood. "We'll handle it, love," he told her before heading down to join Morph and Celina at the water's edge.

Hearing Tom clearing his throat, Morph broke from his wife but kissed her gently on her forehead before releasing her. Of the four of them, she was the most compassionate, and though not a single word had been spoken between them yet, he knew she was being hit the hardest. He also knew Katrina would look after her, and he needn't fear for her as long as her sister was anywhere near. "We'll be back," he promised her, "and I promise we won't leave a single body in there, even if we know it's a Christian." She nodded, and he turned back to Tom. The two dove into the water as one; their transformations into octopuses were complete before they even hit the water.

Katrina pulled her baby sister close to her and hugged her. They had seen stuff like this on their own planet. Though it had been a long time ago, it stayed with them. They were the last of their kind except for their cousin, Jenny, and her husband, Tom. They didn't even know if Jenny was still alive since it had been years since they had heard from her. The Toad Wars had been Hell and almost completley annihiliated an entire race. Even now, if their leaders knew where they were, they'd hunt them down and kill them. "Celina, we need to do a healing spell, and we need to do it quickly. Exposed as we are, we are all in danger. Do you feel up to it?"

Celina had not left the water when the others had; instead she had stayed to pull out the dead bodies. She was exhausted, but she would never pass up a chance to do anything she could to help another living being. "Yes," she answered her sister with a nod.

Still holding tightly to her sister, not only in support but in comfort as well, she led her back toward the group of people. She could see that some of them were beginning to wake up, but it didn't matter if they were awake or asleep for the healing to take place. She began to chant the words older than time itself, calling upon her Goddesses to bless and heal the people. She began and then looked to her sister for the answering chant. Celina was ready when Katrina looked to her and joined in the spell.

* * *

Prue's eyes flashed open. She was instantly awake but could hardly move. What happened? She wasn't supposed to be here! She gasped for air and sat up, looking around.

Cole had been walking and carrying Piper, stopping every so often so that she could get a good look at the people who were in the group, when he heard a sharp gasp and quick intake of breath. He turned in the direction.

Her heart was heavy with depression, and her vision was still blurred with the tears that remained in her eyes. She had not seen a single one of her family yet, and the more dead bodies they saw, the more she doubted they'd be alive when they did find them. It was then that she heard Prue's voice. Hope jumped in her, but at the same time her mind warned her not to get too excited. She may only be hearing things, after all, but when Cole turned them toward the sound, it was indeed her beloved older sister that she saw. "Prue!" she cried out her name instantly.

"Piper!" Prue gasped out. She held her arms out to her sister. Cole walked over and gently sat Piper on the ground beside Prue. Prue threw her arms around Piper and hugged her close. "Thank the Goddess you live!" Prue was already kicking her butt for being stupid and calmly walking into the water. At the time, she had not seen another way out. Now she had to wonder why they had all been so insane, throwing away their lives as though they meant nothing. "Have you found the others yet?" she asked.

Cole stood nearby, looking away from the sisters as he tried to give them a moment of privacy.

It felt so wonderful to be in her sister's arms again that tears of relief and joy that at least one of her sisters still lived sped down her face even as Piper returned Prue's embrace in a tight hug. She never wanted to let her go again, but she nonetheless drew back a bit so that she could face Prue as she answered her question. "Not yet. I'd . . . I'd almost given up hope that we'd find even one of you still alive, but thank the Gods that you are, Prue!"

Cole knew there was no way he could carry both the sisters, so he figured their searching would be over for a little while as he could not figure out how to carry both of them around. "We have to go look for them," Prue said, "but I don't know if I can hold up to looking right now."

"Ladies, if I may make a suggestion? I will continue to carry Miss Piper, and I will get a friend to carry your sister." He had not been properly introduced to her yet. He thought her name was Prue, but he wasn't sure.

Prue smiled up at him. "Thank you, kind sir, and my name is Prue. You are . . . ?"

"Cole Turner at your service, ma'am," he said with a small bow, "and I will return in a moment." Cole headed off in search of his friend, Lorne. He knew he'd be very gentle with the lady but hoped his looks would not scare them too much. He found his friend sitting on a rock and looking out over the water. He knew his empathy was about to destory him and was glad that he had a small job that he could handle and that would take his mind off of the sadness and sorrow the place was steeped in. "Lorne," he called cheerfully, "have I got a job for you!"

Lorne looked up. "Cole, where've you been?"

"Carrying a beautiful lady around to find her relatives, and we were lucky. We found a live one."

"Wonderful!" Lorne said. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well, since neither lady is able to walk under their own power, I wondered if you would mind carrying one?"

"Now you know that's not the question," Lorne said. "The question is: Would _she_ mind me carrying her?"

"She said she would be very thankful for any one to help. Come, my friend. Maybe for a change, a beautiful lady will smile on you." He knew Lorne hated to get around women. Every time they saw him coming they screamed, but Cole had never known a gentler person than Lorne in his life. Lorne was green-skinned, red-eyed, and horned, and every woman that saw him started screaming Satan. He would take his friend back to where the ladies were waiting, and then he would make a slow introduction so as not to frighten them. He clasped his friend's hand and gripped him gently. "Come, my friend, and we will assist the ladies." He gently tugged him forward, then turned and headed back to where he had left the girls. Lorne followed him slowly, hoping that for once he would not be screamed at.

* * *

Piper had torn her eyes away from Prue to watch Cole as he departed. As soon as she no longer saw him and knew that he was out of hearing range, she leaned forward to Prue and whispered to her sister. "Prue, you've never going to believe this! Cole is a _Pirate_! He and his crew mates are the ones who rescued us!"

Prue's mouth fell open. "A _Pirate_? You're kidding! But I always heard they were mean, evil, and nasty things, raping, plundering, and pillaging! He doesn't strike me that way at all!"

"He's not," Piper told her, shaking her head quickly. Even though she had only met the man within the last hour or so, she was already certain that he was a true gentleman or, at least, as close to one as any Pirate could ever come. "He would never harm a woman. He's been nothing but gentle with me. Besides, you know most of that is the same stuff they say about us Witches except for the raping, plundering, and pillaging part. According to those biased fools, we're not into any of that; we just do the Devil's other work."

Cole could see the sisters talking animatedly and was almost afraid to approach them lest he overhear something he shouldn't. "Stay here, Lorne, just a minute, and I'll introduce you and make sure she's not going to scream at you." He stepped up to where the sisters were seated. "Ladies, I've brought one of my best friends who is more than willing to assist us in our endeavors. However, he is afraid to approach as he does not wish to offend."

Prue thought the guy must have gas or be extremely ugly. She couldn't think what else might be wrong with him. "What's wrong with him?" she asked.

"Well, he's not your usual, run-of-the-mill male. His coloring is not the same as mine nor is his appearance. He's green and has red eyes and horns, but a gentler person you'd never want to meet. He wanted me to describe him to you so that you would not be frightened when he appeared."

Prue looked at Piper as though she thought it was a joke. The guy sounded for all the world to look like a Demon, and although they had often been accused of consorting with such, they had never seen one. Were there truly Demons able to walk amongst men, and not just walk but actually live? She was eager to meet this new guy. "I promise not to scream," she said.

Cole then looked at Piper. "And you?" he asked.

Piper tilted her chin so that she could look up into the dark fathoms that were Cole's eyes. He appeared to be completely serious about this matter, but she had known those who could deliver a joke with a completely straight face before. In fact, her other two sisters had both been known to do so on multiple occasions. She chose her words carefully as she spoke. "Even if he is as you say he is, I am certain that he would do us no more harm than you have. We have heard many things about Pirates, but we have also been told just as many lies about our own kind. I hope you do not think me too bold, Mister Turner, but I trust you and any who you would speak so highly of in turn."

Her words brought a smile to Cole's lips and a warmth to his heart. "Lorne," he called, "the ladies are waiting."

Lorne walked to their sides, and at first glance all they could see was that he was completely covered, including his head which had a hat with a large, green feather in it. He swept his hat off his head and made a bow to the ladies. "Miss Piper, Miss Prue, it is a pleasure to meet you." He then stood tall so that they could see exactly what he did look like. He was relieved they did not scream or faint.

Prue tried very hard not to show any emotion. "Thank you for agreeing to help with us, Lorne. I believe you will be carrying me?" she said in a soft, gentle voice.

He replaced his hat on his head, reached down, and gently lifted her up. The first thing Prue had noticed about him was how gentle he was, and the second thing was that he did not smell like brimstone. In fact, he smelled rather pleasantly of something she did not know but yet seemed familiar. He waited while Cole picked Piper up. "Shall we, ladies?" Cole said as he gathered Piper into his arms and proceeded along the path they had already been heading in when they had discovered Prue. Lorne and Prue followed closely behind.

* * *

Out of all the women Carl had fished out of the river, the one who had caught his attention the most had been the redhead. He had looked for her and, finally finding her, had settled down beside her. She had yet to wake, but he remained vigilantly on guard beside her. The more he looked at her, the more he found himself attracted to her.

Carl had never had good luck with women. They hated him almost as much as they hated Lorne, and yet he and Lorne had a respect for each other. Lorne treated him better than any one else except for Jack. Neither of them treated him as though he was beneath them or less of a man because of his stature. He wondered where Lorne was and hoped his friend was not too overcome by his empathy.

The scent of death was heavy upon the place, and Carl did not want to linger there much longer. He knew the townspeople would be coming. He wanted to take his booty and run, his booty being the redhead, but he knew he could not even pick her up and tote her because her body was too long. Her weight seemed to be nothing, almost that of a bird, but she made almost twice of him in her stature. He adoringly gazed into her face, willing her to wake up but knowing that she would probably start screaming for him to get away the minute that she did. He picked up her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it gently. Then he sat, holding her hand.

From somewhere far away, Paige felt something touching her and moving a part of her body. She came to gradually, her eyes slowly fluttering open. At first everything was blurry, but as her vision cleared, she became aware of a stranger's face peering down into her own. "Who . . . ? What . . . ?" she managed to gasp out in whispers. Her voice ached with each syllable, and her head pounded.

"Me? Carl. You?" he asked, surprised she had not screamed. "You're safe now." He didn't know how to tell her what all had happened and hoped she knew mostly what had happened. He smiled at her, still expecting screaming to come and cringing inwardly at the thought.

Paige was about to tell him her name when his next words answered her other question before she could ask it. She had wondered where her family was, and then suddenly the memories rushed back to her. She had been holding her mother's and Prue's hands when they had all walked out into the water together. They had meant to let the ocean take them, yet here she was. She knew already that this was neither Heaven nor Hell. She had lived, but the others . . . her mother . . . her sisters . . . their grandmother . . . "Oh Gods!" she cried aloud, jumping up to a sitting position. Her world whirled around her and pain assaulted every inch of her at the sudden movement, but she ignored it all as tears sped down her face and she sobbed openly. Her family! "Oh Gods, no!"

"Oh no, pretty one, do not cry!" Carl pleaded. "I am sure there are others that you will know that made it. When you are feeling better, we will go and look. I would offer to carry you to where you could look now as others are doing, but I am not tall enough. I'm standing now."

Did he need to wave a red flag in her face? She still wasn't screaming. Was she in shock? He wanted to yell "Go ahead; get it over with!", so that he could stop cringing inside and they could get on with it. He could run away and watch her from the shadows, because he knew something this beautiful would never want him near her if she was in her right mind. Until she did scream, however, he was happy to stay close, but if she screamed, he was obliged to run away. "You?" he asked again, hoping she'd give him at least a name he could dream on.

She looked at him oddly for a moment before speaking again. "Paige," she answered finally, wiping her tears from her face with the backs of her hands though more fell in their place. "Paige Halliwell. And you're right, of course. They're here. They have to be here somewhere." She started to push herself to her feet, but her mind whirled at such a rate that she was sent crashing back down onto her rear.

Carl pulled off his bandana and offered it to her. His hair fell down into his eyes, and he swiped at it angrily. "It's not as clean as it could be since it came from my head, but it's the only one I have," he said and offered it to her. Even if he managed to get one tear on it, he could smell her on it when it was returned to him, because she had touched it. It would never get washed again. He would keep it always and cherish her smell on it.

Paige looked at Carl as she accepted the offered bandana. "Thank you," she spoke in reply. Her fingers brushed his as she took the bandana, but she was too distraught to notice the spark that the accidental touch ignited. "I-I'm sorry. You probably think I'm silly or . . . or something . . . but . . . my . . . my family . . . " She could not bring herself to continue, to speak the awful fact that they might well be dead, and covered her face in his bandana as her tears increased. The cloth muffled her choking sob as she cried in fear and grief.

Carl couldn't think of how he could get Paige around to see. He looked frantically around for help. "I will be back in a minute, Miss Paige. Do not go anywhere. I will get some one to carry you to look for your people." He scampered off before she could answer in search of Lex and Clark.

* * *

Where had those boys gotten off to? Carl wondered as he looked around for Clark and Lex. He noticed some bushes not too far away; he thought that would be too obvious but went to look any way. He did not see them, but then he heard them. They had gone behind a big rock, and he ran around the side. He had interrupted them before and had every intention of doing it again.

Sure enough, when he rounded the corner, Carl found the young men locked in a heated embrace, Lex pushing Clark against the rock while Clark's hands were already under Lex's shirt. They were so deeply lost in each other's kisses that they did not even notice Carl at first. Carl cleared his throat and then had to speak as he noticed the sound had no effect on them. "I need your help. The lady I rescued with the red hair needs to be carried so that she can find her family."

The guys broke off what they were doing and looked at him in revulsion. "You don't have to say it," Carl said. "She is not interested in you two. She's mine, and I'll thank you to remember that. I just need your help in carrying her. She went in the water with her family and is not able to walk. She won't stop crying. Please, guys? I'll owe you big time."

"Sure. Why not?" Lex finally spoke. "I'll carry her. Clark doesn't want anything to do with any women. Lead on." Carl hopped, skipped, and headed back to where he had left Paige. Clark went next, and Lex slapped him on the rear when he went by. "Later, baby."

"Sooner," Clark purred.

"Right after," Lex answered promisingly. "Can't wait," he added with an impish grin and a sparkle in his mischievous blue eyes.

"Me neither," Clark agreed.

It did not take them long to reach the redheaded woman. She was sitting, holding a large, red bandana in her hand. So that's where Carl's bandana is. He really has laid a claim on her. Lex had to smile at that thought. Carl never laid claims on women. Usually, he ran from them. Lex hoped Carl had at last found somebody who would give him some attention. The little guy deserved some loving, but Lex moreover just wanted Carl to have something to entertain him besides distracting Clark and he always just when they were getting to the juicy parts.

"M-Miss Paige," Carl said when he reached her side. "This is Lex and Clark. Lex will carry you."

Lex smiled at her. "That is if you don't mind, ma'am?" Clark hung back; he did not want to get close to the woman.

Paige looked from Carl to Lex. Her eyes traveled slowly up his body, and despite everything, her gaze shimmered in appreciation of the view before her. "Of course I don't mind."

From where he stood behind Lex, Clark saw the appreciative way the woman looked at his beloved. He cleared his throat, stepped up, and laid a gentle hand possessively on Lex's shoulder. His eyes stayed on Paige's, however, in a silent warning that she keep any such thoughts of his man out of her mind. Paige glanced at him questioningly, unsure what to make of his move and, had she not known better or thought she did, warning, then returned her gaze to Lex.

Lex gently picked up Paige and they, too, began walking and looking at the people. He hoped she would find her family alive. Carl stayed very close, almost at Lex's butt. If Lex stopped, he would bump into him. He did not want to lose contact with the beautiful woman, and he did not want her to get excited over Lex. It seemed that every woman that saw Lex and Clark wanted them, and Carl did not want to lose her before he even got her.

As they had been walking, Clark had moved silently up beside Lex so that he could keep a closer eye on Paige. Out of the two, Clark was the shy one except when somebody was messing with Lex. If he had to kick that little hussy's ass, he would kick her butt with pleasure. Otherwise, he didn't want to touch any woman. Lex was his all, and any who dared to lay a hand on his man would pay the price. He got warm just thinking about what Lex would do to him later, and a devilish smile played over his lips at the thought and imagings that followed.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	10. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

Left alone with the beautiful Princess, Angel began to become increasingly nervous even as his loins became more heated. He knew Jack was right and that the Princess would only be safe once she was on the other side of Jack's door. He smiled at her. "Would you like to rest for a while, Cordelia? The Captain said you may use his quarters. I've never been in there, but I am sure they are the best accommodations on the ship."

She was tired but did not want to sleep nor, she realized as her hazel eyes turned from the water to look back up at the dashing Pirate who had rescued her, did she wish to be parted from this man any time soon. It was strange, but although they had just met, she already felt safer around him than she had since her father had changed and began to look at her as a young adult instead of a child. "Perhaps later," she answered softly. "Thank you."

"We should retire there. I won't leave you if you don't want me to," he said as though he had read her thoughts, "but you could lay on the bed and rest." He knew he might be getting into troubled waters over his head, but she looked as though she was about to fall out and he couldn't bare the thought of that. "It's this way," he said, walking over to a door that looked like all the rest. He opened it and stepped back, allowing her to enter. He hoped Jack did not get mad that he was about to be in his Captain's room, but he did say that the Princess was to be there and since she did not want to leave him, he couldn't see any other way to get her there.

Cordelia started to follow, but as she reached the door, a thought occurred to her. Despite his heroicness, Angel was not the Captain and might well get into trouble for accompanying her into chambers that he would not normally be allowed in. She stopped beside him and, looking up, spoke softly, "Please do not allow yourself to get into trouble on my account. Should the Captain ask, tell him . . . " She paused, considering their choices. Knowing that there were not many, she took the only one she truly saw. Although it would hinder the reputation of any lady, she did not care. "Tell him I requested your presence should he ask. That, I hope, will alleviate you of any possible negative consequences."

He smiled down into her eyes. "Fair lady, the Captain told me to make sure that you were comfortable and well taken care of, and I intend to do that." He did not add 'only that'. "Although you do request my presence, there may come a time when I have to leave you, but I will not be far. The Captain has never forbade me entry. I just never wanted to encroach on his privacy. He is a very private man," and he added almost as an afterthought, "and a very lonely man. He is basically good at heart and will help you any way he can, but his mischievous side gets him into trouble often. All in all, he is a great Captain and an even greater friend. He will not mind." As long as I behave myself, he added to himself.

"Good," Cordelia returned with a satisfied nod and smile. She passed through the doorway and was surprised to find herself in what, at first glance, appeared to be a normal bedroom. Indeed, had there not been swords hanging above the bed and dresser and on one of the walls, she would never have thought she was in a Pirate's cabin. A black curtain hung over what she presumed to be the dresser's mirror, and she gave it a curious glance as she looked the room over. A bookcase stood in one corner in a silent reminder to her that pirates were, as far as she could tell thus far, nothing like so many people thought. It was filled almost entirely with books save the top shelf that held several rolled-up maps. She wondered what those maps looked like for she knew they must lead to treasure and had never seen a real treasure map before. What surprised her most about the room, however, was its neatness. Though he had impressed his kindness upon her, she certainly would not have thought the Captain gave even one gold coin to cleanliness yet the room seemed in near perfect condition. The bed actually looked as if it had never been slept on, and everything else appeared to be in its rightful place, as well.

Angel followed closely behind Cordelia, closing the door behind him. He was in awe of the Captain's room. He had never known Captain Jack to be overly concerned with neatness yet this room could have been in a rich man's house. It was not only neat and orderly, but it was clean! Since when was the Captain so concerned with cleanliness? he wondered. Then he remembered how many times a week Jack insisted on bathing. Must be preparing for something, he thought to himself. Too many baths are not good for you.

Although Jack insisted on his crew taking at least one bath a week, most of them never took more than that. In fact, there had been times when the catman had had to be picked up and bodily thrown into the water; most of those times, his wife had been the one doing the throwing. Angel's keen sense of smell was very appreciative of Jack's abilities to make sure that every one kept some cleanliness to their bodies for he had found body odors to be extremely offensive in the hottest summers. Indeed, if not for the weekly baths, he would probably not have survived the stench.

He was surprised to see that the Captain had books for to hear the Captain talk, he was not an overly educated man. He was beginning to wonder just how much of the Captain was real and how much he did to affect his outward appearance to the world. Did any of them really know the man behind Captain Jack Sparrow? Angel didn't think so.

He walked over and stood by the bed. "This looks extremely comfortable, Cordelia. Why don't you lay down on it? I'll take your shoes off."

Normally, she would have balked at any man's suggestion that she lay down, but she knew Angel was only being a gentleman looking out for her best interests. She smiled at him as she crossed the room and sat down on the bed. She hoped having her shoes taken off was not too close to having the royal treatment she was accustomed to, but just the thought of Angel's hands being so close to her skin sent a secret thrill coursing through her. She had seen the look upon his face when he had entered the cabin behind her and commented softly, in a small attempt to change the subject, "I noticed you also seemed surprised by your Captain's chambers."

"Captain Jack always puts an outward appearance -- well, the way you saw him today before he changed into the fancy finery, just an ordinary man who can be silly at times, but this looks like a gentleman's room. There's not too many gentlemen aboard the Pearl. We have a code of ethics that Jack wrote up, and I wondered about that at the time I signed up. Most Pirate ships don't have ethics, but then most Pirates don't have ethics."

Cordelia started to tell Angel that the ethics of he and his friends she had already met that day were clearly visible in both their heroic actions and their mannerisms where a lady such as herself was involved. Indeed, she'd met many of society's supposedly finer gentlemen who had not even had as much of a thimble of the manners Angel, Brendan, and their Captain had. Angel continued before she could speak, however.

"If Jack finds out that any of his men don't have ethics, they had either better soon develop them or they will walk the plank. He tolerates no bull when it comes to ladies yet I hardly ever see him with one." He said the latter hoping Cordelia was not getting ideals about his Captain; he wanted her all to himself. "Before today, I have never seen Jack in those fancy clothes. I didn't even know he had them! He must have bought them for the wedding!"

Cordelia's gaze snapped to Angel's in surprise. "The wedding?" she repeated questioningly.

"Of his best friend and the Governor's daughter. But then the Governor turned out to be two-faced. You sure you want to hear all this? It's a long story." Even as he talked, he was unlacing her boots and slipping them from her feet.

His fingers brushing against her feet as he slipped her boots off sent sparks racing through her. Had her curiosity not been so piqued, she would have wondered what his hands would feel like on the rest of her body. "Yes, please. I noticed the way he took off so hurriedly with the other gentleman. He seemed quite upset, and I was concerned. You all have already been so nice to me that I would hate to see anything happen to any of you." Realizing that she was being what society would consider to be too bold, she blushed slightly and amended with a jesting smile, "Besides, it is not as if we are going anywhere any time soon."

Angel thought for a minute. Where should he begin to tell the tale? "On our last journey to regain the Pearl that had been stolen from the Captain, the Captain met Will. Will went on the journey with us in order to rescue the Governor's daughter, who he was in love with. Jack ended up rescuing both of them and returning them safely to Port Royal. Despite all the good deeds that Jack did, the Governor was still going to hang Jack because he was a Pirate. He would have succeeded if Will had not saved him."

"The Governor's daughter is beautiful. Will is handsome," Angel said, nodding his head slightly. "They fit good together." He did not add that Jack was in love with Will even though he knew it and that they would make a much better pairing. "The Governor's daughter talked her father into giving amnesty for one day so that we could sail into the harbor for their wedding. We came only to find that the Governor was a lying, two-faced . . . " He didn't finish the sentence.

"He betrayed his daughter's love and trust by having his soldiers beat up Will on the morning of their wedding and sell him into slavery. Captain Jack has rushed off to save Will. If things were going like they should, at least half the crew would have went with him. As it is, Brendan and I returned to tell Jack what had happened only to find that there was no one aboard the ship but Jack, you, and your father's guards. I really hated for him to run off with just Brendan. I should be there, but I need to be here worse. I have no clue as to where the crew ran off to but trust that they will soon return."

His eyes kept getting drawn to the swords. He knew where they came from, and he knew who made them. He also knew he'd better not touch a single one of them or Jack would know it and would probably have his head for it, but his hands itched to stroke even one of them. They were beautifully made with excellent craftsmanship. Each one of them would be a prize to own, and yet he knew that the maker had no clue as to where his swords had gone. You sly fox, he thought, thinking of Jack.

Cordelia's gaze followed Angel's to the swords, and she wondered why he was looking at them as if each was a willing, beautiful woman just waiting for his caress. It must be a Pirate thing, she thought to herself with a shrug of her slender shoulders. As she looked back down, her mind returned to all that Angel had just told her. "I can not imagine how any father could be so heartless as to sell his daughter's love into slavery," she admitted. "I know there are a lot of awfully horrid things that go on in this world, but that . . . " Her voice trailed off into a shudder. How could any father betray his daughter so much, but then another part of her wondered as sadness flickered in her hazel eyes, how could any father do to his daughter what hers had done to her?

"I never trusted the Governor," Angel said, "and neither did Jack. I think that if the Governor had not given amnesty for this day, Jack would have come alone. Will means that much to him. Elizabeth never said much about her father, but I always thought they had a normal father-daughter relationship. Now I think it could have been more." He didn't say what more, allowing her to think what she would, but the emotions that flickered in her eyes surprised him, telling him that she understood far more.

"Jack figured we might have to fight our way out of here, but everything was peaceful when we came in. Our sister ship is not as well-known as we are, and since we are both flying the English flag for this day, no undue attention was drawn to her. She is berthed not far from us, and her Captain is one to fear. Still, we were alert but never in a million years, would we have expected what we found."

"The look on Jack's face when we told him was almost more than I could bare. I think he flipped. He went ahead and dressed as though he was going to the wedding, as you saw, and then he took the strangest sword I've ever seen." He paced to and fro in the cabin nervously, trying to remember if he had seen any crew members from the Witch in a while. Where could they be? What had drawn all their members away? Did the Governor have them or, even worse, could they be dead?

Cordelia watched Angel pacing in great concern. She knew he wanted to go help his friend and also knew that the Captain would most likely need his aid. She stood and was about to walk over to Angel when something white falling outside the one window in the room caught her eye. She looked at it, and her mouth opened in a round circle in surprise. "I did not realize it snowed in Port Royal at this time of the year," she commented quietly.

"Snow?" Angel asked with disbelief on his face. "I've never known it to snow in Port Royal. It's usually too hot. This is indeed a strange day!" He looked out the window and could see the entire harbor and out to the ocean. He longed to be out there. Even though it had its dangers, he still felt safer out there than he did here.

It was then that his attention was drawn to a small box ornately decorated that sat in the center of the table. He walked over, lifted the lid, and looked inside. He gasped when music came from the little box. Looking inside, he spied a key and a note. He lifted both the box and its treasure and carried it to Cordelia. "Please," he begged with his eyes, "read to me what it says."

Her hazel eyes widened as she looked up into Angel's begging eyes. This man was constantly surprising her more and more. "Of course," she replied with a reassuring smile. Her fingertips brushed over his hand as she reached for the paper. She had meant to take the note from him to read it, but instead she found her hand closing gently around his as she began to read the note. "For two of my very best friends, I hope the happiness that you find on this day will be the beginning of the happiness you will share in your life together. If you ever need me, send word and I will come." Her eyes lifted back to Angel's as she finished with a statement of the obvious, "It is signed by your Captain."

"Thank you," Angel said. "I often wish I could read, but unfortunately, I can not read or write. It gets embarrassing sometimes. My Father was a vicar, but the only thing he ever taught me was abuse. He worked me from sun up to sun down and abused my Mother, my sister, and me. I hated him." He figured she'd recoil from him when he admitted, "I killed him."

"I was out working in the field and cut my hand. I went home to get it seen to. I found my Mother dead, my Father's knife embedded in her heart. I recognized the knife. I pulled it out, closed her eyes gently, and kissed her. The bastard would pay for that."

His eyes glazed over as he became lost to his memories, his mouth moving as of its own accord. "It was then I heard my sister scream. I ran, but I was too late. The bastard was deeply embedded in her and was pumping away. He didn't know I was there. It was then I realized, as I stabbed him through his black heart, that he had killed my sister by strangling her even while he was raping her." He was wrapped in his memories, and his pain showed in his face, his hands clenching by his side.

"I snatched him from her, and I stabbed him over and over and over again. His blood was all over me, and still it wasn't enough. I carried my Mother and sister to the field and buried them, and then I burnt him in the house. Of course, the villagers all thought I had gone crazy and killed everybody. After all, they would never expect a man of God to go berserk. Bloody bastard!"

He had forgotten that Cordy was there. As he remembered being chased, his words just tumbled out of his mouth. The villagers' screams that they would kill him and feed him to the fishes echoed in his head. They had caught him, had him at the stake, and were about to burn him alive when, like an avenging Angel, Jack had appeared out of nowhere, cutting him free, saving him, and taking him far away with the town in flames behind them. "I've been with him ever since." He remembered the flames licking at his skin, and he groaned aloud.

He was scaring her, but though terror blanched her face, she did not fear him. Rather she feared for him. She knew he'd forgotten that she was there and that he did not remember anything save the memories of that time. She also knew she needed to snap him out of his past, though he would be horrified when he realized all that he had just revealed to her. Taking a deep breath, she laid a gentle hand on his cheek. "Angel?" she called as though he were asleep.

"Oh my Gods! Beautiful lady, I did not mean to run off like that, but I haven't been touched by such a gentle hand, not since my Mother! I am sorry if I scared or sickened you." He breathed deeply but did not move from her touch.

"You did neither," she was quick to reassure him with a shake of her head. "I am just . . . " Her words failed her, but she tried again. "I am honored to remind you of your mother, Angel, but I am so sorry that you went through what you did." His eyes and face were still filled with such emotion that she only wanted to comfort him, and to her surprise, Cordelia found herself stepping closer to him. Her hands dropped from his face and hand so that her arms could circle his body as she dared to hug him gently. "No one should have been put through such."

His arms slipped around her, and he held her gently. This woman was driving him crazy, making him feel things he had never felt before, and making him want things that he knew were impossible! The smell of her hair was so heavenly that he just wanted to gobble her up. Before he could stop himself, he nuzzled her neck gently.

What could he, a lowly Vampire Pirate, offer such a beautiful woman? He'd had women before, many of them, but not in a while. He had had them in many ways, but none of them stirred his blood like this dark-haired beauty. He realized that he had best let her go before he followed his instincts and did something that they both would regret.

"Thank you, beautiful lady, for your gentleness and understanding." He regretfully began to let go of her when his eyes caught a mark on her neck. He recognized it as what it was. "When?" he asked her. "Who?" He knew the mark had been burnt on her. He would kill the bastard who did it. He did not let go of her.

She froze in his arms when she heard his questions, and her heart thundered so loudly that it seemed to her to fill the room. She had never meant to reveal what her father had done, the real reason why she had ran away from home. When she opened her mouth, she released a breath of air that she had not even been aware of holding. "What?" she tried to ask innocently, but her voice trembled. She bit her bottom lip, knowing already what the answer would be.

"Whatever bloody bastard put his mark on you, I will kill him! If he hurt you more, I'll make him eat it! But I don't understand. I can see it's a King's ring. Your father?" He was still holding her and not looking into her face. Her heartbeat sounded as loud as thunder in his ears. "Why would your father put his brand on you? Was it him?"

She knew she could not lie to him. "Yes," she forced herself to answer in another deep breath. "I tried to fight him, but he would not have it. I'd already hated him for trying to force me off on Prince after Prince, but when he decided I was to marry the captain of his guards instead, I thought it couldn't get any worse. Gods, was I ever wrong," she said dryly. "He wanted me to marry Groo so that I would remain accessable to him and he could . . . he could take me whenever he wanted."

"I tried to fight him, Angel. I _tried_," she repeated, whimperingly, again as tears welled in her hazel eyes, "but he tied me to the bed so that I could not move! That mark was meant to remind me that I was his daughter and, as such, . . . his property to do with as he liked!" Her tears slipped from her eyes, racing down her cheeks and falling onto his shoulder.

He squeezed her just a little tighter. "I will kill the bastard! You need not ever fear him again. If any man ever touches you again and you don't want to be touched, you have but to tell me. They will not live long enough to see the next day. No one as beautiful and gentle as you are should ever have had to undergo something like this! I am sorry." He tilted her chin upward and swabbed gently at her tears with his thumbs. "I will protect you, my lady, if you will allow me to. No one will ever hurt you again."

Before Angel even knew what was happening, his lips had plunged downwards onto hers, but he did not defoul her mouth. He gently pledged his undying loyalty to her. He felt a tremble go through her body, and he figured it was because he had forgotten himself. Though her lips parted under his, he was still about to release her when he heard some one calling. He didn't want to let her go, but he had to take care of this business.

"I will be back. Some one's on the ship." He withdrew quickly, leaving Cordelia holding the music box. Gods, what a woman, he thought, and how lucky I am to know her and to escape without getting slapped! He almost had to laugh at the times poor Jack had been slapped, and for most of the time, not even knowing what he was being slapped for. At least, had it happened to him, he would have known. He slipped out the cabin door, closing it softly behind him.

Behind him, Angel left a strong woman quivering like a leaf in a gale. Cordelia trembled not from fear or the sadness that had threatened to engulf her until Angel had touched her face to wipe her tears away and spoken so sweetly to her. Rather, she shook from the intense passion that his kiss had sent coiling through her body and shooting through her every core like a million fiery stars.

Princess Cordelia Chase had been kissed by many a Prince and even once or twice, since leaving home, by men on the streets who had tried, and thankfully failed, to take her without her permission. She had even been kissed by a few members of royalty who were supposedly among the best kissers her part of the world had to offer. Yet never had she been kissed like Angel had just kissed her! Never had she felt such passion! It threatened to engulf her, and her every fiber ached to allow it to do precisely that. Her lips parted in a longing sigh even as she heard a stranger's voice speak to Angel outside the cabin door.

* * *

Angel had thought he recognized the voice, and sure enough, it was Elizabeth.

The instant she had heard a door open, Elizabeth had whirled in its direction. She looked in surprise at Angel as he stepped out of Jack's cabin and wondered what in the world he had been doing in there and why he looked as if he were dying for oxygen. Her brow creased, but she did not bother to ask him. Instead, she leapt right to the point. "The Captain and two of the other crew have gone after Will. I am to go with you when you set sail, and he told me to tell the rest of you to prepare and be ready to sail the minute he gets here."

"I have no ideal where the rest of the crew is, Elizabeth. Two of the crew are with the Captain?" he asked, remembering what she had said. "Who?"

"The doctor, Brendan, and that Faith."

"Good," Angel said. "I can stop worrying so much about him; Faith won't let anything happen to him." He thought for a minute and figured the safest place for Elizabeth would be in the cabin with Cordelia. "I am guarding another lady," he told her. "She's in Jack's cabin with Jack's permission. The safest place for you will be with her. I will stay out here and guard you. Please be nice to her. Her name is Cordelia, and she's had a hard time."

Elizabeth nodded. She knew her place and understood why they were determined to keep her safe. Given her father's orders, if any of the guards were to spot her on the ship, they would all be doomed. As she slipped past Angel into Jack's cabin, she wondered about Cordelia. Had the Pirate Captain finally found a woman, or was she the reason why Angel had seemed in such a need for air?

* * *

Cordelia was just placing the box back onto the table where Angel had taken it from when she heard the door open and shut again. "Angel . . . " she started as she turned to face the person, but her voice died in her throat when she found a blonde woman standing there instead.

"He's outside."

Cordelia's forehead creased, and her hazel eyes narrowed as she looked in suspicion at the blonde. "Who are you?"

"My name is Elizabeth. I am . . . "

"I know," Cordelia spoke softly, "and I am sorry for your loss."

Elizabeth smiled sadly at the other woman. "Thank you." Cordelia nodded but did not speak again as her eyes turned to the door behind Elizabeth. Why was Angel still out there? He had said he would return, so why hadn't he? Was he running from her?

* * *

Angel raked his brain, trying to think of some one he could send to find the crew. It dawned on him that the only being that could carry this mission off and was available was King Meesy. Rather or not King Meesy would do it for him, he didn't know. He could only try.

Angel climbed up onto the top of Jack's cabin so that he could see over to the other ship. Calling just loudly enough to be heard over at the Sea Witch, he called, "King Meesy, please show yourself! I have a mission for you! I need your help desperately!"

Angel was rewarded when a cat bounded onto the Sea Witch's railing. The large cat's fur was already ruffled by the cold winds that were blowing, and snow sparkled amongst his chocolate and cream fur. Deep blue eyes peered out from a chocolate face as he looked expectantly at Angel, clearly waiting for an explanation.

"I have two ladies whom I have to guard. There's no one else. Captain Jack requests that all crew members return to the ship immediately and prepare for sailing. The Governor has betrayed Will and Elizabeth. Jack has gone to rescue Will, who the Governor had sold into slavery. We must be ready when they return! Please help!" he begged the furry feline.

Meesy cocked his head to one side as he listened carefully to Angel, and when the Pirate was done speaking, the cat nodded. He disappeared from sight then, but it was only a few seconds before Angel saw a blur of cream and chocolate streaking down the dock. He hoped it would not take King Meesy long to locate the others. He admired the cat greatly for he had seen many things seemingly impossible accomplished by the furry feline. In fact, there was no other cat alive who could hold a candle to King Meesy, and if Angel only knew half the things Meesy could do, he would never believe them. The Lewis sisters had chosen well in their choice of a familiar. He knew the crew would be coming soon and set about doing what he could to prepare the ship even as his mind turned back to Jack and Will and he wondered what was happening.

* * *

Darkness continued to engulf his world as Will Turner slowly came to. The first thing that he became aware of was that somebody was moving his face and pushing and pulling his jaw and cheeks. He had never felt their touch before and knew instantly that it was neither Jack nor Elizabeth for he would recognize either's touch immediately. No, this person was some one who had no business touching him. He tried to pull away from their touch, but something held him in place.

He was still too groggy to fight whatever was restraining him, but the rattling sounds his restraints made as he tried to move told him that they were chains. He moved his wrists, and the same rattling sounds met his ears. Fear began to encroach upon his heart. He was chained, his hands and feet shackled to a wall, but who was touching him and where was he?

It was then that Will suddenly felt thumbs forcing his lips apart and fingers poking into his mouth. His eyes flew open as he reacted with instinct, biting down on the fingers so hard that he felt the copper taste of blood trickle onto his tongue. "Hey!" a sharp voice commanded. "Nae bitin' the customers!" Though Will had already released the stranger's fingers and was about to spit out the blood in disgust, a fist plowed into his gut.

"Hey now!" exclaimed the first stranger. "I may like violence, but I will not pay for injured merchandise!" The man wore a tophat, was dressed in a fine suit, and carried a cane that he had no need for. To those who only passed him on the streets, he appeared to be an astristocratic gentleman, but Will already knew that a monster lurked behind that facade.

"Oh," the second quickly backpaddled as he stepped away from Will. "Well, hum, in that case, nae free nips." He was a short man, but his stocky, muscular build more than made up for what he lacked in height. His gray hair was pulled back in a limp ponytail, and his clothes and skin were covered in so much grime that one could easily tell he had not had a bath all year.

The first man ignored the second as he returned his attention to Will. His dark eyes hungrily roved the younger man's body even as he licked the blood that trickled from his wound. "Fine set of gnashers you have," he commented more to himself than to Will, "but I wonder how you are when it comes to the sheets." No sooner had he made the comment than his hand swiped out and grabbed Will in between the legs.

Will's education failed him completely as he growled savagely at the man while struggling desperately to break free of his chains and the stranger's grip. His legs jerked toward him, but the stranger remained just out of his reach and completely unfazed by Will's struggles. Instead, he squeezed the blacksmith's sword. Will's yell echoed through the stalls, and his brown eyes flashed on black. Still, however, he could not reach him.

"Oh, yes," the man purred aloud as he finally withdrew his hand. The hand that had groped him was the same one that Will had bitten. Now the stranger brought it to his face. He sniffed it first, then licked his fingers one by one. Sounds of satisfaction emitted from the depths of his throat as he licked each one that had groped Will through his clothes, and his eyes shone with eager anticipation. "I'll enjoy breaking you," he continued lustfully, "_very_ much." His hand again grabbed the boy's member, and as he squeezed it hard, he finished, his fingers playing over Will's sword as if it were a new instrument meant only for him, "And very, _very_ soon."

"I'll never -- " Will started to growl out, but the man cut him off.

"Oh, but you will -- for the right price, of course," he added with a meaningful look at the other man in the stall. "And once you're mine, I'll do with you exactly what I want." He squeezed Will again before releasing him and turning to go.

Will spit, but the man did not even appear to notice the spittle that struck the back of his head. "I'll never be yours, you bastard!" He cussed the man in more words than he'd even known he knew, only then realizing that he must have picked up even more than he'd thought from Jack, but the man only laughed.

As the laughter that made Will cringe faded into the distance, Will turned back to the other man. He tried a different tactic with him. "You must release me immediately! My name is William Turner, and I am to marry the Governor's daughter this day!"

The laughter that met Will's ears this time was huge and shook both the man's portly belly and the walls of the stall that surrounded them. "Right! Don't you think I know that the Governor himself was the one who had you sent to us? Good one, kid, but you're not getting out of here!" His laughter had stopped now, and he shrugged as he added, "Just be glad you'll probably only be sold for sex."

Will looked at him puzzledly. "You sell humans for another purpose?" Did he even want to know? "Work?"

"Well, aye, there's that," the man admitted, "but I was talkin' more about eatin'."

Lines of confusion drew together on Will's forehead. "Food? You mean to say you sell _chefs_?" That couldn't be right.

"Of course not. Humans to eat." Will wanted to think the man was joking, but he knew from his serious tone and surprised face that he was not. Will's own face paled. There were human beings that ate humans? Or could the legends of Vampires be true? Shivers raced through him as more fear than he'd ever felt for his own self crashed through him. Indeed, he had only been more afraid than he was now once in his life, and that had been when he had thought his beloved Jack had been dealt a fatal blow.

"Damn," his seller commented, letting out a low whistle as he took in his stock's paled face. "Ye are an innocent! I better gi tell the bosses that. It'll bring ye a higher price."

Will did not realize when the man left. His terrified heart was pounding so loudly in his ears that he could hear nothing else, and his surroundings whirled around him at a blinding rate. Even if he could somehow manage to break free of his chains and gain a weapon, there were bound to be far too many slave holders and guards for him to ever make it out alive, but if he did not somehow find a way out of this nightmare, he would meet a fate worse than death. Rather it was at that sick man's hands or another's did not matter. It was hard enough to pretend with Elizabeth, but at least she was gentle and truly cared about him. These people were strangers, and he was but meat to any of them.

Jack! his heart cried. Jack would find him! He would save him! But no, his brain argued, Jack did not even know where he was. No one except the Governor and two of his guards knew. Besides, why would Jack risk his neck again for him? Will knew he would not for as much as he loved him, Jack was still a pirate. He would gain nothing from saving his undeserving hide this time, so he would not risk his life.

Tears finally welled in the blacksmith's eyes as the source of his fear changed. No longer was he terrified of what would happen to him if he was sold or tried and failed to escape. The fear that filled his very core with ice was the knowledge that he would never again see the man he loved. He would never again have a chance to tell Jack the truth. Tears slipped down his face as Will realized that he would not even know if he might have stood a chance, no matter how slim, of somehow, some way gaining the pirate's love, of having his love returned, of knowing what Jack's lips on his own truly felt like instead of only what he imagined them to feel like. Will bit back a sob. He would never see Jack again.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	11. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

As the sound of Will's scream pounded upon Jack's ears, despite the raucousness of the market, he knew it was Will. His hands clenched at his side, and with teeth gritted, he spat, "I'll kill the bastards! Whoever touches him, I'll kill them, and they'll die painfully!"

The only good thing about Will's scream was that now they knew where he was, and it was taking everything Jack could do to hold himself back. If the scream had been repeated, nothing would have held him back, and his carefully thought-out plan would have been for naught. He stood between Brendan and Faith in his wedding finery, looking like a rich man with nothing better to do with his day than shop for a new slave. The two in his attendance were not enough for a man such as himself.

Occasionally he lifted his hanky to his nose and sniffed as though the very air itself was rotten to his most perfect body. At least, that's what Jack hoped he was putting out. Ordinarily, he would never have been caught dead in clothes like these, but he had not wanted Will to be ashamed of his appearance and had paid a tailor good money to make his clothes. It cost a pretty penny, but it was worth it as they fit in perfectly and made him look the part he hoped. Heads turned to look at him. Women oogled him, and he paid no attention to any of them. When he finished with his hanky, he tucked it back into the cuff of his shirt each time.

He continued to inch closer to where Will was being held, looking nothing like himself but feeling even more piratish. He would kill any that touched Will after he had rescued him. He marked the fine-looking gentleman who left the stall where Will was being held. I'll get ya later, bastard.

He began to glance around, looking for escape exits in case they were cut off from the tent flap. He saw several people that he knew were of respectable society and had never expected to see there. He would not have been surprised to see the Governor there, scum that he was. He was probably the prime source behind the trafficking of this business. He would not have been surprised to see it at Tortuga, but in a town such as Port Royal, he would have thought the authorities would have been arresting the merchants and not petting them on the back, looking for a hand-out. As it was, he saw several of the Governor's guards in the crowd themselves. All were eyeing the merchandise, and many were already testing various ones. It made him sick to his stomach to realize that this kind of thing was not only going on but seemed to be prospering. He kept his eyes riveted on the stall, watching the buyers walk in and out.

He even saw a couple of the Governor's guards come in and out and noticed that each was checking their money after they left the stall. He knew the competition was going to be hot and heavy for Will. He had not realized that there were so many men who were interested in their own gender until he saw how many went in to check on Will.

Then his heart stood still in his mouth. He saw her! My Gods! The bitch is here! If she recognizes me, there will be Hell to pay. "Brendan," he whispered, "look. It's -- " He didn't finish the sentence. He knew he didn't have to for the flash of Brendan's eyes and the low growl that answered him told him the wolf remembered her all too well.

Once upon a time, Helvira and Jack had come face to face in a duel to the death, and Jack thought he had killed the bitch. In fact, he vividly remembered the feel of his blade sinking deep into her black heart, but since the incidents with the Pearl, he was not surprised to see ghosts walking. If that bitch got whiff of him, either she'd get Will or she'd have her snake, that was presently coiled around her shoulders, his head laying on one of her breasts, get Will. He didn't know how she'd know that he was there after him, but she would. She had seemed to know everything, even his every move when they had been fighting, and trying to do her in had been one of the harder, most difficult fights he had ever been in.

Like the evil incarnate she was, she was back to cause more crap in his life. He prayed that she would not see either him or Brendan. The fight had been over Brendan. She had owned him for his own family had sold the white sheep in wolf's clothing to her. She had abused him, used him, and nearly killed him on several occasions, and yet he had never raised a paw to her. Jack still had difficulty understanding why Brendan had not fought against her. It was just one of the things Brendan had to work out for himself.

Helvira paid no attention whatsoever to Jack but entered the stall where Will was being held. Jack braced himself. "Hold me back, Brendan. She's going to do something, and if I give us away, we'll never get Will."

Brendan stood by his Captain in silence, his eyes, which had already changed to yellow, focused solely on the bitch in black. He put a hand on Jack's shoulder but never spoke a word. He would hold him back if needed, but who, Brendan wondered, would hold him back if the wolf got the better of him as it was already threatening to do as memories ran rampant in his mind?

He had not tried to fight Helvira then for he had felt that he deserved no better than the pain she gave him and even wanted her to kill him, but if she touched Will, if she harmed the innocent lad who his Captain cared so much for, it would be all he could do to rein the wolf in. He would not see another hurt by her. He could not. He felt a gentle hand on his own shoulder and looked down in surprise to see Faith looking up at him.

"Easy, boy. I don't know what the bitch did to ya, but you've gotta hold it in. You can rip out her throat later."

Brendan sighed, but the sound never left his mouth. She had whispered so quietly that only his advanced hearing could hear her, so her words did not bring any attention from any one else near them. He cocked his head at her in curiosity, but she just shook her head and did not speak again. The young woman really was a paradox. Did she truly care, or was she only trying to make sure they didn't fail the mission before it even got well under way? Brendan also wished it were so easy for him to do what he knew both she and Jack would if given a chance, but he could not kill for if he ever started, he knew he would never stop.

Jack's attention had never wavered from Will. Faith was already looking at the confrontation about to take place again, but Brendan turned back slowly, fear clogging his throat at what he would see. Helvira stood before Will, her black eyes slowly roving the boy's body as she took in his appearance. "What do you think, snake?" she asked the pet that slithered over her pale white skin. He hissed in response, and she nodded. "Yes, I thought this was the innocent we were sensing."

Will's heart thundered in his chest, and Brendan could hear it easily from where he stood. He knew from the look in the boy's eyes that he knew that there was far more to Helvira than there even appeared, and he also knew what was about to happen as Helvira raised a hand toward Will's face. Brendan gripped Jack's shoulder harder in silent warning.

Jack tensed as though he were a panther ready to spring. His hand went to his sword. Inwardly, he cringed, crying out, Please don't hurt him! Where was the damn shopkeeper! What was the bitch about to pull? If she got too wild or if Will cried from whatever she was doing to him, he knew he'd lose it. He'd jump across that street and into that stall so fast that that bitch would never know what got her. Even if it wouldn't kill her, he sure as Hell could hurt her to the point that she'd withdraw, but then their little game would be up and Will would not be rescued. He held his breath to see what she was doing, feeling every bit of what Will was feeling.

Will squirmed as the strange woman reached out to touch his cheek. She did not slap him or even hit him, however. Instead, a single, long, black fingernail tapped his temple as if checking for something. Her nail then pressed down harder, tearing past the skin. Pain tore through Will, bringing another yell from the blacksmith's mouth as she brought her fingernail down the side of his face. A thin trail of blood was left in her wake, and she only stopped when she reached the end of his cheek. He struggled, trying desperately yet again to break from his chains, as she leaned in closer. Her taut breasts slammed against his heaving chest as she put her body next to his. Her tongue then ran over the cut as she sucked the blood that ran from her cut. Will was already trembling with fear, but he trembled even more when her snake's forked tongue flicked out and licked him on his very lips.

Tears filled Jack's eyes as he could only watch helplessly as the bitch cut Will. I'll get you for that, you black-hearted bitch, as soon as Will's safe. His hand gripped his sword tightly. I'll take great pleasure in slicing and dicing your black heart from your chest. He had to turn his face away. He could not watch so he missed the licking but saw it reflected in Brendan's eyes. He cringed inwardly.

How much more did they have to endure? How much longer would it take him to reach Will? He was sure that Will did not expect him and that he had given himself up for lost. Jack might be lost, but he would never stop as long as there was breath in his body to free Will, no matter who he had to fight or kill. Even if he died himself, his ghost would come back and save Will.

Normally, Faith did not care even a fraction for others, but anger flared through even her dark heart as she watched the bitch and her snake lick Will. Revulsion filled her gut, but she ignored the sensation. She did not ignore the crowd before them, however. Sounds of disgust rattled through men and women alike. She even heard one ask angrily, "Who the Hell wants to touch something a snake's had a hold to!" She bit back a bitter laugh at that and watched as the line before them dissipated until they were next in line.

Brendan, however, did not notice Faith's or even Jack's reactions for the scene before them had brought back even more memories. Sickness filled him, and he barely managed to keep the bile down. Helvira's actions had always been bad enough, but what made him sick this time and brought him so close to exploding was not memories of what she had done to him but rather the remembered sensation of the snake slithering across his very sword. He shuddered and shook even as he fought to force the bile down and the memories away.

"Ah, yes," Helvira purred in a dark voice that foretold of things she planned to come, "you taste just as good as we thought you would." She smiled devilishly at the look in Will's frantic eyes. "We'll see you again soon," she added. She swiped at his cheek again, but this time it was with her finger. "For later," she explained though she didn't need to. With that, she turned and walked away. Her snake looked behind her as she left, grinning wickedly back at the boy. Helvira held her head high as she slipped through the crowds, slithering through the filth like the snake she was at heart.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. The bitch was gone, temporarily of course, and she had not killed Will, thank the Gods. He pulled himself together and walked into the stall. He walked until he stood directly in front of Will, noticing that his eyes were on the ground as he braced himself for whatever Hell would come next. He could sense Brendan and Faith standing behind him in the doorway. He gently reached out his right hand and lifted Will's chin.

"Hmm," he said in the aristocratic voice he had adopted. "Strong cheekbones. Muscular build." He continued discussing Will's merits so that the crowd outside could hear, the whole while gently touching and stroking the cheek that had not been injured.

Will's eyes were glazed over, and he knew there was no way he would recognize the voice he was using. In a lower voice so that only Will and Brendan could hear, he spoke his name, "Will, it's me. Don't fear. I'm sorry you've been hurt. I'll save you." He couldn't help one tear sliding down his face, but no one could see it but Will. If his eyes would only focus! If he would only answer him! With no one to judge and no one to see but two of his trusted, he leaned forward and kissed Will on the forehead. "Come back to me, Will," he pleaded.

From far away, Will heard some one calling to him. The voice thrilled his aching ears for it was the voice that he had longed to hear but had thought he never would again. Slowly, he followed it back from the place he had managed to find, hidden deep within the recesses of his own frightened mind, to find Jack, in the most outlandish outfit he'd ever seen, standing before him. As his eyes began to refocus, he found himself looking directly into Jack's sad and pleading eyes. Was it possible? Was Jack really here? Could he care that much for him? "J-Jack . . . " he managed to gasp out in a hoarse voice that was so low even he could barely hear himself.

Brendan smiled sadly in relief as he saw Jack manage to bring Will back. Shouts sounded from another stall not too far from Will's. Faith steppedout to take a look, and Brendan moved so that his own frame filled the doorway, blocking any outsiders from looking in even while keeping one eye each on Jack and Will and Faith.

Jack wanted desperately to cut Will down and take him to the safety of the ship where he could tend to his wounds, but he couldn't do that. His only hope was to buy Will. There were too many people in the marketplace interested in this one transaction. "Whatever it takes, Will, I'll get you out of here. Do not fear. That bitch will never get you, and they will all pay."

Despite the pain that filled his every part and the terror that had flooded his soul, seeing Jack before him; feeling his gentle, reassuring touch; and hearing the words he spoke sent not only relief but also happiness that Jack cared so much about him coursing through Will's being. Will smiled sadly, and for the first time, he let a tear drop down his cheek where somebody could see him. The tear was not of sadness, however, but of joy, joy that Jack cared so much for his lowly hide.

Jack reached up and caught Will's tear, his heart tearing because of it. "Don't cry, Will. It hurts like Hell today, but it will get well and you will be free. I have to leave you now. There will be others coming in. I can't help it. Just know that whatever it takes, I will free you."

Will wanted to reassure Jack that he was not crying from the pain, fear, or sadness but with joy, the joy that came with the knowledge that Jack actually did care about him. He ached to beg him to stay and never leave him again. However, he knew he could do neither and so remained silent as Jack slipped back into his disguise.

Returning to his aristocratic voice, Jack said, "I can't wait to get you in my bed after you take a bath." He sniffed his hanky delicately. He walked out, shaking inwardly but continuing to play the fool for the crowd's benefit. "Mmm! All that muscle!" he breathed out, sneaking a look around only to see that Brendan and Faith were not to be seen. He wondered where they had gone and then heard yelling. "He's going to make a great stallion! I can hardly wait for the ride!" He walked over to where they had been standing before. He looked around, hoping to see his friends.

* * *

Faith had followed the yells of a familiar voice to a stall only two away from Will's, but she had not truly expected to find there what she did. She stood back in the crowd, her blazing eyes watching the boy from earlier. There was another bitch dressed in another slinky, black dress that did little to cover her body standing in front of him. She was accompanied by a muscular goon whose hand was even now pinning the boy to the wall. "Bruiser, you will have to move in order for me to measure the boy," the woman told him in a cold voice.

"But, ma'am," the man with big muscles but little brain responded, "if I do that, he's going to knee you again."

"Then use our little method, Bruiser. Really, where _is_ that thing you call a brain today?"

"Oh. _Oh._ 'Course, ma'am," Bruiser answered as he released the boy and then made his way to a small fire that lit the stall. He reached down and picked up a piece of hot coal with a pair of tongs that lay waiting nearby. He then moved back to the boy his mistress was currently interested in. Faith growled as she watched Bruiser stick the piece of coal right at Dawson's throat. "One move," the man warned the boy, "and I'll burn you."

"One move, and I'll rip your dick off," Faith muttered under her breath. It wasn't that the boy meant anything to her, or so she told herself at least, but seeing this done to some one she knew filled her with fury. She watched as the woman unbuttoned the boy's pants, and as she brought out his sword for any one looking to see, Faith started forward. She had not taken more than two steps, however, when she suddenly felt strong hands clamp down on her shoulders. "Move 'em if ya wanna keep 'em," she spat without bothering to look to see who was holding her back.

It was Brendan's voice that met her ears. "Faith, you know you can't. Not yet, at least," he whispered urgently so that only she could hear him. Even as he held her back, Brendan knew he couldn't hold her for long. He could practically feel the fury seething off of her and knew she'd have no qualms against turning on him if she was mad enough. Looking around, he spied Jack. "Boss," he called in a voice completely unlike his true, eloquent voice, hoping that the Captain would nonetheless recognize him, "think this one's gonna blow."

Jack had to agree. He could see the steam rising off of Faith. What about this particular boy was bothering her? he wondered. He knew for certain that it was not the kid's innocence for nothing like that ever drew Faith after one time. In fact, he knew of nothing that had ever managed to attract her a second time. Walking over to stand beside his friends, he asked Faith, "What is it with the kid?"

"He was just a good piece," she spat out, her blazing eyes never moving from the scene before them, "but he doesn't deserve to be treated like an animal! Just look at that, Jack! The bitch is fondling him for all to see, and the thing's only even been touched once!"

Jack blushed slightly at her response. Gods, the girl had a way with words! "Okay, so we have two for the rescue. What you do with him after the rescue is up to you."

"Set him free," she answered instantly. "I already had him. I don't want him again. He just doesn't deserve _this_."

Jack was worried. He had only brought the one bag of gold, and even though it was enough to buy most of Port Royal -- this he didn't realize --, he was afraid it might not be enough to buy Will. "Do you have any gold with you?" he asked.

"Give me five minutes," Faith responded. "Hell, give me _one_ minute, and my pockets'll be overflowing."

Jack looked uneasily around the crowd. He knew Faith was good, but he desperately did not want attention drawn. "Be careful," he said. "Move quickly and return. The auction will begin in about . . . " He looked up at the sun. Noon was not far away, and the auction was to be then. "You might have fifteen minutes at the most."

He looked at Brendan to see if he had any comments even as Faith slipped away. The look on his face almost said it all, but it was as though he had something he wanted to spit out but wasn't sure how it would be taken. "Well?" Jack asked, looking at him even closer. "Out with it!"

"I know she's good, Captain," Brendan spoke in a soft voice that only Jack could hear, "but that woman looks like she has endless funds . . . "

"Go for it, Brendan, but be careful." Jack had to smile to himself. His friend never ceased to amaze him. For himself, Brendan would barely lift a finger, but for his friends, even a mountain would not be too much to move to help. Jack, too, was pretty good at lifting pockets, but he just could not do it today. He was too emotionally overwrought.

His fury at not being able to do anything yet to get Will free was causing his hands to shake. They itched to throttle something, and he knew just who it was going to be as soon as he was able to move against them. He was standing there, waiting for the auction to begin or for his friends to return and having daydreams about what he was going to do to the Governor that very night. The whole damned town was going to pay, but at this time, Jack was only concerned with the Governor and what he was going to do to that bald-headed son-of-a-bitch. No amount of begging was going to save his unworthy hide.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

The furry streak that raced throughout the streets of Port Royal caused immense havoc in its wake, people screaming and varied items flying everywhere as they fell to the ground. The feline never turned back nor even considered glancing back to see the destruction that lay in his wake. Instead, he continued to run as if his own life depended on it, his nose in the air as he followed the crew's scents. He did not even pause when a pair of woman's underwear from a clothes basket that had been thrown up into the air as he had ran between the surprised carrier's legs and sent them tumbling landed on his head. Instead, he just shook it off and kept running.

Hands tried to grab him, but he continued weaving in and out of the annoying humans until a pair of strong hands finally managed to grasp him. "UNHAND THE ROYAL PERSONAGE, YOU FILTHY PEASANT!" The man screamed and released him instantly, but the King still gave him a few scratches before continuing to race off, leaving the surprised man with just enough bloody gashes to remind him not to catch just any cat he happened across.

He had torn out of the town and was well on his way to the others when another scent caught his nose from a different direction. The cat stopped so suddenly that he was sent sliding on snow, which he wondered where in the world it had come from, until he almost hit a tree. Regaining his balance barely in the nick of time, he used the tree as a look-out perch and was just in time to see a wagon rushing his way.

* * *

Xena had finally found the farm she was looking for. Locating a wagon and horses to pull it proved to be a little more time consuming, but she at last located them as well. The wagon was full of hay and would make a comfortable conveyance for all. She walked out of the barn, leading the horses pulling the wagon, and got hit in the head with something wet.

She put her hand up and caught the next snowflake. "What the Hell! Snowing _here_!" She had been in colder countries when it had been snowing so she knew what it was, but what was it doing here in a hot, tropical atmosphere? It never snowed here, or if by some freak of nature, it did, it would melt as soon as it hit the ground. Yet this snow was actually sticking to the ground and forming a slippery surface!

She didn't know what was going on, but more of the crap was now hitting the fan. She got behind the reins and stood up, clacking the reins in the air and hollering at the horses to get a move on. They took off flying like bats out of Hell, heading back to where the group waited. The snow grew thicker all the time yet she still passed from snowy area to plain area. It was as if the Earth itself could not make up its mind rather it wanted snow. She then realized that if she continued to drive the horses so quickly they would be worn out and unable to help any one, so she slowed them down to a steady trot.

As they passed under another of the many trees that lined the dirt road, a body suddenly dropped out of the tree. Xena started to reach for her sword but relaxed as soon as she realized who it was. Blue eyes looked up at her as Meesy asked, "How fast can this thing go?"

Xena looked down at King Meesy. "Faster than you want to go, Your Majesty. Why? What has caused the urgency?"

"Will was sold into slavery," Meesy said, knowing that she would need no further explanation. Without another word, Xena clacked the reins and yelled at the horses who took off flying again. As they raced, Meesy had to dig his claws into the wooden seat to keep from falling over, but never did the cat speak one word of complaint. He only wanted to reach the others and get them back to the ship. The faster they could do so, the better, regardless of the condition the speed put his luxurious fur in.

"Damn!" was all she could mutter. "Damn! Damn! Damn! Jack will go crazy and wipe out the entire damn town if they hurt one hair on Will's head!" Amongst all the other Pirates, Xena was the only one, or thought she was the only one, who truly knew how Jack felt for Will. Every one else just thought that they were the best friends they'd ever seen. She knew Jack was in love but afraid to admit his love to Will. Heck, he'd only just recently admitted it to himself!

They passed one of the trees that dumped a whole bunch of snow on her, and Xena shook it off angrily. Why was it that when everything looked like it was going to go good, shitt always happened! If she had had even a clue, she would now be standing beside Jack, ready to take on the entire town, but instead, here she was, tied down with a group of survivors that she knew had to move as soon as she got to them. There was no more time. Whatever Jack did in the town, the ships had to go. They had to be outside the harbor before the guards closed it. What they did after that was another whole story. As she neared the camp, she smelled fire and knew that more shitt had hit the fan.

* * *

They had looked at so many bodies. Prue had breathed a sigh of relief after each, knowing that they were not their family, but she had lost count of how many they had actually seen. Still, her family had not shown up. As they rounded a huge boulder, they found yet another group of women laid out. The woman laying in the center caused Prue to start crying and screaming. Lorne helped her to stand on her shaking legs as they approached. He knew they had found one of the women.

The second they reached the group, Prue fell on her knees beside her mother, and her long hair covered her face. She was lost in tears, wailing like a lost soul. Her heart was breaking. Thank Gods her sister lived, but she had no hope that her grandmother would be alive, either, or even her other sisters, not after having found her mother dead.

Prue had been one of the ones who had wanted to fight and had not simply given up but had gone along with her family, because that's what her mother had said would be right. She loved her mother and did not know how she would go on without her. She felt Cole stop beside them and Piper being let down.

Tears were already streaming down Piper's cheeks so much that she could not see past them. She could barely even make out Prue's form, but she reached out and hugged her sister tightly. She knew Prue needed her now more than ever and hated herself for crying instead of comforting her sister, but this was their mother. Their mother was dead! Nothing else mattered!

* * *

Lex heard women crying. "I will take you over there so that you can see if that's part of your group," he said to Paige, secretly hoping that it wasn't because he was not very good with crying women.

"It is," Paige answered softly, struggling to get the words out through the tears that choked her throat. She could tell Prue's and Piper's voices, but who had they found? Phoebe? Their mother? Their grandmother? Who! She wanted to hide her face away in Lex's shoulder and not face whatever she was about to find, but she knew she could not.

When Lex reached the small group, he noticed Cole and Lorne both looking as lost as though they wanted the Earth to open and swallow them. It seemed that he was not the only one helpless around crying women. He sat Paige down beside her sisters and then stepped away, the others following behind him. Carl was so close that his face hit Lex's butt when he went to back. "Hey, that's my territory!" Clark quippingly exclaimed in a hushed whisper, hoping but failing to lighten the other guys' moods.

When the men had retreated a little ways from the ladies, Cole told the others, "That's just one of them. There are two more here somewhere. I have no clue as to what they look like, but carrying them around to look at all the other bodies is just not going to work. It's breaking their hearts even more. We've got to find some one who knows every one."

Carl piped up. "Gabrielle will know what to do."

"Carl, you stay on guard with the ladies. If anything comes up, get us immediately. We're going for Gabrielle."

* * *

Reaching Gabrielle, the men all talked at once. Finally, Clark waited for the others to hush before saying, "We need some one who knows every one to identify the dead ones. That way they can tell if any of the live ones can match up with any of the dead ones." The others nodded in agreement.

Gabrielle looked at Clark with a partially questioning and partially bemused expression in her green eyes. His wording was rather unique, but she nonetheless understood what he meant. She had been keeping watch over every one but had only met a few of them briefly. "We need to find out if their leader made it. She would know everybody in the group, but any one else might not know all the others. I don't know which of them to ask, though." Looking around, she saw Wolf. Whistling to him, she waved her hands urgently in the air. She'd seen him having a rather lengthy talk with the woman in black and hoped he might know something she didn't.

Wolf reached her side almost immediately. "Yes, Gabrielle? Can I help?"

"We need to find out who the group's leader is," she explained. "We need some one who knows the rest of them so that they can identify family members and the like."

Wolf had been about to answer when he got hit with something in the head. He reached up and swiped at it with one hand, bringing his hand away to reveal snow. "Just what the Hell! _Snow!_ Huff puff! That shouldn't be here!" He looked at Gabrielle puzzledly before answering her question. "The lady I was talking to earlier and taking care of knows them. I don't know if she's a leader, but she can identify them. I'll ask."

Wolf immediately sprinted over to Elvira, leaving Gabrielle to turn questioningly to the rest of the men standing around her. "Do any of you know any reason at all that it would be _snowing_ in _Port Royal_, of all places?"

"Wesley might know, but I haven't got a clue," Lex answered. "Professor Doom is always looking into things."

"It might be an omen or something," Clark thought aloud.

"Well, if it is," Gabrielle replied, "we'll hear about it as soon as his lungs open."

Cole shook his head. "I haven't seen snow in years. Isn't this the wrong climate for it?"

"It sure is," Lorne agreed. "Wrong climate _and_ wrong season. I would have expected snow to happen in Pylea before it would have happened here, and it's never happened in Pylea. Where is Wesley?"

"I don't know," Cole said, "but let's go look for him." Lorne nodded, and the two parted from the group to go in search of Wesley, hoping against hope that he would know what was going on.

* * *

Meanwhile, Wolf had reached Elvira. "Dear lady, I hate to bother you, but they are in need of some one to identify bodies. Are you able to help?"

Elvira had stood to meet him as she had seen Wolf approaching and had ran her tongue over her black lips as she watched him. He certainly was quite the magnificent feast and surely had to be as good in the bed as he was on the eyes! When he spoke, however, and his question reminded her of all those who had died that day, she quickly sombered. "I can try, but I don't know everybody," she admitted. "I was still pretty new. Patty or Ororo would be better . . . if," she added sadly in an afterthought, "they made it."

"What do they look like?" Wolf asked.

"Ororo would be the easiest to tell. She's dark-skinned with white hair and blue eyes."

"I've seen her already. She's beautiful, and she's with a friend of mine. Do you want to come with me?" He got hit with another snowflake and looked around. The landscape was beginning to get snowed under. "Do you have any ideal why it might be snowing?" he asked her.

"No," Elvira answered his second question first with a shake of her head. "You can try asking Miss -- " She bit her own tongue to keep from letting the word 'Beautiful' slip. Why was she suddenly so jealous? Ororo _was_ beautiful, and Wolf was a man with no claims on him. If he wanted to look at Ororo or another woman, that was his right. They had only flirted, after all. There was nothing serious between them, so she had no reason or right to be jealous. "Miss Munroe," she concluded after a second's hesitation. "She's a Weather Witch."

He could not for the life of him figure out why she was suddenly sort of hostile, but he could see the tenseness and smell the jealousy that had suddenly gripped her. "It would be nice if you'd come with me," he said hopefully. "She doesn't know me from Adam, but she does know you." Then it dawned on him. He had said she was beautiful, because she was and he was never one to keep his mouth closed when it came to admiring beautiful ladies. He leaned forward next to her ear, "She's beautiful but not as beautiful as you are." He stood back in case she slapped him.

Her black eyes sparkled at his words. Part of her hoped that he was not just telling her what she wanted to hear, but as she watched him pull back, his eyes on guard as he expected to be slapped, she realized that that was not it at all. She started to smile, but she stopped herself just in time, deciding instead to surprise him. Her face went suddenly stoic, and she managed to keep the lust from her voice as she spoke. "Why, sir," she exclaimed, stepping closer to him, closing the distance he'd put between them, and raising a hand toward his face, "I -- "

She switched instantly, however. Her voice transformed from a sharp exclamation to a lustful purr as her body leaned into his, her taut breasts pressing against his muscular chest through the thin fabric of her dress. Her hand fell gently across his face, her palm caressing his cheek, as she whispered against his lips, "Flattery will get you _everywhere_."

"The only place I want to be is next to you," he whispered back. "Soon," he purred back into her ear. "Just being this close to you burns me up." He growled more intensely than he had planned, conveying to her that he was definitely in heat and wanted her badly. "Huff puff," he moaned as he pulled himself away from her. "We have to get this business taken care of and our living company back to safety. Gods know why, but it's even snowing now! Will you come with me?"

Though he was trying to put distance between them again, Elvira reached out and caressed his chest through his shirt. "I'll come with you _anywhere_," she told him seductively, her voice on the verge of a responding growl.

His gaze locked with hers as he lifted her hand and kissed her in the center of her palm. Then, holding her hand, he pulled her with him where he had last seen Wolverine with the woman. As they approached, he could see that Wolverine was nestled close to the lady, holding her torso in his lap and encircling her with his arms. Wolf didn't know if she was asleep or had just not woken up. When he reached them, he spoke, "Wolverine, is she . . . ?"

Wolverine looked up at Wolf. "Sleeping," he replied. "Thank Gods she lives."

Wolf definitely could see that Wolverine had lost it. Was it destined that each of them should find their true mates today? Gods knew he had found his and could hardly wait to claim her as his own. Did Wolverine feel the same about Ororo? It seemed that he did as he held her protectively, and Wolf had to smile. He had never seen Wolverine with any woman before. Rumors had abounded that he had killed a couple of them, but he had never seen him get romantically inclined toward any one. "We were hoping that she would be able to identify the survivors."

Wolverine looked up at the sky. "I'm gonna have to wake my little darlin' up any way. The snow is beginnin' to pile up. She'll catch her death o' cold here, an' I won't have that. Little darlin'," he whispered, "wake up. We've gotta get a move on."

Ororo stirred slowly in response to Logan's voice, but the first thing she felt was confusion. The next was the cold of the naturally heated earth that did not understand why it was being snowed upon. Her eyes were not yet open when she groggily spoke, "It's cold. Why is it cold? What is this white stuff? It does not belong here."

Elvira released Wolf's hand to kneel before the man called Wolverine and Ororo. She knew that her friend's strange comments were probably worrying both men but understood what was happening. Ororo was not fully awake yet, but already she was picking up on Mother Nature's confusion. "'Ro, wake up. It's just snowing," she said as if snow was an every-day occurrence in their lives.

"Snow?" Ororo repeated tiredly. "But it should not be. I did not tell it to."

Wolf looked at the brown-skinned woman who was mumbling about snow. What was it Elvira had said about her? Oh, yes, that she was a Weather Witch. "Well, if you can do something about it and make it stop, it might be a good ideal. It could really cause some trouble. I've heard about the snow, but I've never seen it, not till today. You're right. It shouldn't be here."

Wolverine had been around strange women all his life and many Witches. Therefore, her words really did not bother him but her tiredness did. He was still afraid of losing her. "'Ro, are you able to stand? I'll hold on to you. We need to identify yer people. Match up the living with their dead; get the dead seen to; an' then we need to get the Hell outta here, because rather it's snow or townspeople, we are in for a lot o' rough road to hoe and the sooner we get to safety, the better."

Their words had brought Ororo the rest of the way awake, but she was still looking around in confusion. "You are both right. It should not be snowing. This can not be good, but I should be able to stop it." She was emotionally exhausted and mentally tired, but her physical well being was surprisingly fine and showed no signs of having gone through what she and her people had been through that day.

She pushed herself to her full height of six feet. Standing tall, she stretched out her arms and opened her hands, her fingers reaching toward the heavens. "By the Goddess, that which belongs in the cold regions . . . " Cold winds blew back her long, white hair, and her baby blue eyes turned to white with no sign of her pupils. "That which should never fall here, the stuff of snow, ice, and sleet, be gone."

Elvira looked around, knowing that the snow should disappear with Ororo's words. When nothing happened, worry dawned on her face.

"I said . . . " Ororo began to try again but stopped suddenly as her spirit seemed to run straight into a brick wall of fury. Her forehead creased and her eyes shut in determined concentration, but the unknown power source was far stronger than her own. With a cry of pain, she fell back, toppling downwards into Logan's waiting arms.

He held her close to him. He was amazed at all the power he had just seen flowing out of her, and yet it had all been thrown back at her. It scared him, but he didn't let on like it did. "She's not in any shape to help you to identify the people. If ya have any way at all o' doin' it, miss, please? We've got to get them outta here to safety. Out in the open, like this, we're exposed."

"It's too dangerous," Wolf said. "Can you do it, Elvira?"

"Wolf, I told you I was new to the group. I still don't know everybody. I could identify some but not all, and they all deserve . . . "

Ororo's gentle voice interrupted the conversation that flowed around her. Elvira's black eyes looked down into her baby blues. "Find Patty, Elvira, any of her children, or even the Halliwells' grandmother. They will all know, but we must do this swiftly." She started to continue but stopped, confusion creasing her brow. Looking to Wolverine, she asked, "Are any of your people capable of healing others? Until I ran into what I just encountered, my body was surprisingly fine and felt as though nothing had happened."

"The Lewis sisters are our ships' Sorceresses. They did a healing spell," Wolf said. "They are resting now. I don't know what they are thinking about what is going on right now; I haven't seen them in a while."

"Please introduce me to them later, then, as I must thank them. What I was about to say, however, is that time is even more of the essence here than it would be otherwise. The force that is causing this snow is quickly approaching our way, and it is capable of a great deal more disaster. We must be out of here before it reaches the town or we will go with it."

"Is it that powerful?" Elvira asked her, looking at her in fearful surprise. Outside of her sisters and her brother-in-law, Ororo was the most powerful being she'd ever met. If this force was so powerful that it scared Ororo, let alone tossed her back as if she were nothing but a child's ball . . . Elvira refused to dwell on the thought as she shuddered silently and, already standing again, moved closer to Wolf.

"Yes," Ororo affirmed. "More, in fact."

"Then we'd best get going," Wolf said as he grasped Elvira's hand and pulled her with him again. "We've got to find any of the Halliwells."

* * *

Cole and Lorne had at last found Wesley. He was with one of the women that Cole had rescued earlier. They noticed that he kept looking worriedly at the sky. "Wesley, you want to explain what's going on?" Cole asked hopefully.

"Can't," Wesley replied nervously. "The scrolls are at the ship, and I don't remember reading anything about this. It shouldn't be snowing here!"

"Something's comin'! Somethin' big an' bad an' _awful_!" the woman, who was so petite that she looked more like a girl at first glance, gasped out. "It's goin' ta eat all o' us or, at least, kill us! We have ta get outta here!"

"Easy, Fred," Wesley said.

"_Fred!_" Lorne exclaimed.

Cole laughed. "Why're you calling her Fred? You call a girl by a girl's name, Wesley." He figured Wesley had just stuck a name on her. He was bad about doing that, and he was very nervous around women.

"'Cause that's her name, Cole, or at least she said it was!" Wesley exclaimed, heatedly defending himself.

"Sorry, ma'am," Cole said, "but I never heard of a woman with a guy's name before."

"What kind of parent lays a boy's name on a daughter?" Lorne asked. "Not that I'm one to say anything. After all, who calls their child Krevlornswath?"

Fred laughed, a musical sound that caressed Wesley's ears and stopped far too soon. "Mah real name's Winifred Burkle . . . " she started to explain.

"That's okay," Lorne quickly said. "We'll just call you Fred. You can call me Lorne."

"And I'm Cole," Cole said.

"It's nice to meet y'all. It'd be nicer if we were in a bettah situation. But we've gotta get outta here. Ah'm not kiddin' when Ah tell y'all somethin's comin' that's gonna devour this entire place!"

"I believe you, ma'am," Cole said. "It's a Demonic power of some kind, stronger than I've ever felt. We've got to get these people out of here." He wondered what had happened to Xena and why she had not returned yet.

Fred shook her head. "Not a Demon or, at least, not technically. An Elemental."

"Mister Big, Bad, Bold, and Ugly," Cole said. "Doesn't matter if he's Demonic or an Elemental, he's not some one we need to tamper with. Let's go where the others are." He would have to tell Gabrielle as soon as he got there.

Wesley was amazed at how much Fred seemed to know. He couldn't wait to get better acquainted with her and delve deeper into her mind. They could compare notes and probably even swap tales. He took her by the hand, helping her to her feet, and they headed off in the direction of Gabrielle.

* * *

Still holding on to Elvira's hand, Wolf headed off to where he had last seen Gabrielle. Reaching her at last, he said, "We need some one with the name of Halliwell."

"Patty, Penny, Prue, Paige, Piper, or Phoebe," Elvira inserted. "Damn," she muttered, "my tongue just about stuck on that one."

Cole reached Gabrielle just about the time Elvira was letting go with the list of names. "I've got one of those," he told them.

"So do I," Lorne said.

"Me too," Lex added in.

"Lucky us," Clark interjected dryly. "We've all got a Halliwell." As far as he was concerned, the sooner they got rid of the Halliwell, the better. No way was that Halliwell laying a hand on his Lex!

"Get one of them and get them to identify the bodies," Gabrielle told the others. "Actually, if you can get them to split up and identify, it will be faster."

"Sure thing," Cole said and headed off to where he had left Piper. He hated to ask her, but he knew the sooner they got it taken care of, the sooner they could get the Hell out of there. He felt time was quickly running out. Lex, Clark, and Lorne followed Cole, but Wesley and Fred remained behind to warn Gabrielle of the danger behind the snow.

* * *

The others soon reached the place where they had left the sisters crying over their mother. Carl looked like he was about to break down into a fit of tears, and Lorne silently placed a reassuring hand on the little guy's shoulder. The Gnome looked up at the Demon, but neither spoke.

"Piper?" Cole was the first to speak, putting out his hand and touching her gently on the shoulder as he gently called her name. "Can you help to identify the others?" He knew the healing spell should have taken effect now. She wouldn't need carrying. He'd miss that, but he'd be close to her in case she needed him.

Tears were still running down her cheeks when she looked up at Cole, but she nodded as she swiped at them. "Sisters," Piper said, looking to both Prue and Paige, "I know we do not want to leave her, but Mother would want us to do everything we can for the others."

Paige nodded, biting back a sob as she did so. "Besides," she added dejectedly, "we still haven't found Phebs."

"Or Grams," Prue said, wiping her eyes on the backs of her hands. "With the three of us working together, we'll find them sooner."

They went in three different directions, each with at least one man to carry the dead body to its relative if its relative was alive, but none of their relatives lived. Entire families had been wiped out, and the tears continued to flow not only down the sisters' faces but, when the women were not looking, down the men's as well.

They were collecting the bodies into one group when Paige suddenly cried out, "I found them!" Every one stopped what they were doing and raced to where Paige was cradling Phoebe as her sister cried. Grams lay still on the ground. Her sisters gathered around Phoebe, and Prue and Piper held both of their younger sisters tightly.

Cole did not say a word but picked up their grandmother and added her to the group beside Patty. He then looked around for something to start a fire but could find nothing. He was amazed when he was suddenly joined by Morph and Tom, who had came seemingly out of nowhere, and Tom transformed into a dragon, breathing fire over the bodies.

It was this smelling that Xena picked up as she entered the camp. A slow chanting had began among the survivors, helping to carry the souls of the dearly departed to the Rainbow Bridge. They stood in a circle, their hands entwined, and she was even more surprised to see that they were not alone but were also leading the men, even little Carl and Joxer, in the ritual. Only Katrina and Celina were missing, and Gabrielle stood out, as well, waiting and keeping guard with tears shimmering and the fire reflecting in her sad eyes.

It would take a while for the fires to burn down, a time that the people could not wait for. Xena hopped down from the wagon and opened the gate. "Come! We must quickly be away from here! The snow heralds danger!" She looked down at King Meesy, whose every hair stood straight out.

At Captain Xena's words, most of the men, those who were not already familiar with rituals, tried to leave the circle, but the women latched onto them even tighter. "We must close the circle," the whisper rang among them, passed from one to another as an explanation to those who did not know.

The snow continued to fall, wrapping them in a blanket of whiteness, even as the ritual ended and Ororo opened the circle. The group began to make their way to the wagon. Their heads were bowed in respect for the dead, and tears still flowed down several faces.

Xena was getting worried. If the snow piled up too much, they would never get through. To take a precaution against that happening, Xena, who had seen Tom demorph back into his own body after being the dragon, approached him and Morph after they had helped their exhausted wives into the wagon. "If you would help me get through," she indicated how the snow was piling up about the wheels of the wagon, "it would be greatly appreciated."

They both grinned sheepishly at her and immediately turned into dragons. The horses spooked and broke the traces, fleeing from the dragons. Xena could not believe the disasters, one following the other, but the dragons merely drew the traces together and stepped into them. Pulling the wagon behind them, the shapeshifters began blazing a trail to the safety of their ships.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

Once the Captain had given him leave, Brendan had slipped into the crowd. Moving with lupine stealth, he had gone as unnoticed as a shadow while emptying many pockets. He'd heard the yells later as his prey had discovered their money gone, but no one knew it was him. Throughout the entire time, he'd also been careful to keep an even lower profile any time Helvira or the woman who had been after Faith's boy happened to be around. Now, it was almost noon, and he quickly made his way back to Jack.

Reaching his Captain, Brendan stood behind him as he whispered so that only Jack could hear, "We can't risk my being noticed by Helvira, so I'm going to give you the money and make myself scarce." Jack had kept his eyes ahead of them, and though he had not even acknowledged Brendan, the wolf still mistakenly thought that Jack had heard him. Pressing himself against Jack's back, Brendan stole a look around before sliding the sack he'd filled with gold from his pocket into Jack's. His hand was still in Jack's pocket when somebody plowed into him from behind.

Jack had been standing, lost deep in his thoughts of what he was going to do to the Governor, when he was roughly jostled by some one who had a hand in his pocket. He flipped around, grabbing the guy by the throat with a savage growl, before he realized that it was Brendan. "What the Hell were you doing with your hand in my pocket!" he demanded.

Brendan had been startled when some one who had not been looking where they were going had plowed into his back, but he was so shocked when Jack, who he had trusted with his very life for years, suddenly grabbed his throat that Brendan's face paled and his eyes flashed on yellow. "Exactly what I told you I was!" he hissed through the fangs of the startled wolf that was trying to come out.

"Sorry, Brendan. I didn't hear you come up nor did I hear you tell me that you were getting in my pocket." He let go of his throat. "Forgive me, but my mind was on the Governor and the pleasures of the coming night."

At first, Brendan's only response was a nod as he fought to rein the wolf in. Once he had regained control of the beast within, he spoke again, keeping his voice casual should any one happen to overhear them while also tenderly rubbing his throat. "I understand, but you need to focus on the bidding that's about to start, sir." He dropped his voice so that only Jack could hear him as he added meaningfully, "The addition to your pocket should help in that other case, but I should make myself scarce."

"Again, I want to apologize, Brendan. You know I'd never purposefully hurt you. Forgive me. You're right. I need to concentrate on this, but you don't know how badly I want him. Be careful, and for Gods' sakes, don't let the bitches see you."

Brendan nodded, but when he spoke, his words seemed to fumble over themselves as he tried to assure Jack. "I will. I mean, I won't. I mean . . . "

"Fleas bothering you again?" Faith quipped at Brendan as she slid up to join the men.

Brendan just looked at her, shook his head, and turned his attention back to his Captain. Unlike Brendan, Jack, who looked at Faith as though she had taken leave of her senses, was not as willing to let her comment slip. "Leave Brendan alone, Faith," he commanded. "The bidding's about to start. Pay attention."

Faith looked at Jack with a faked pout on her lips. "Can I help it that Virgin Boy's just too much fun to play with?"

"You . . . " Jack shook his head. "You're incorrigible, Faith."

"Thank ya, Cap," Faith returned with an impish grin.

"You're not welcome," Jack quipped in return. He turned back to Brendan and gently squeezed his arm. "Be careful, my friend." He hoped Brendan knew how sorry he was that the occurrence had happened. He'd try to find a way to make it up to him later. He released him.

Brendan's brown eyes met Jack's as he told him softly, "Don't worry yourself with what happened -- " he started to say only to be cut off by Faith once more.

"What's wrong?" she asked him with a tease tugging at the corners of her lips. "You couldn't get it up again?"

"You wish," Jack said to Faith. "I've never had that problem."

"Not you," she answered. "I know you're constantly swinging, Cap." She inclined her head toward Brendan as she clarified, "I was talking about Virgin Boy again."

Brendan's yellow eyes cut through Faith, and a low growl of warning issued from his lips. "Faith, I explained that to you that night -- " he started but then just fell silent, shaking his head.

"Yeah, right," Faith snorted in return. "And if ya think I'm buying into that, ya'd better think again."

Brendan shook his head once more even as his hands clenched into tight fists. Why was it that this annoying girl, who lacked all manners and ethics, always knew just how to punch his buttons? Looking back to Jack, he repeated, "Don't worry about it," and faded off into the crowd.

Jack watched him go, wondering about the exchange of words between the two. What had or had not happened? He figured from the Virgin Boy comment that nothing had actually taken place except maybe the foreplay and it had been disappointing for both of them. He gathered that, because every time they got together, they tied into each other even though Brendan was usually a sweetheart and never picked a quarrel. He probably thought he was only defending himself from Faith, and Jack figured the only reason why Faith was still picking on Brendan was because she had not gotten what she had set out to get.

That was one reason why he was getting so many slaps lately. Every time he turned around, another woman was slapping the crap out of him, and he was tired of it. He didn't think he deserved any of it. Just because a man couldn't . . . Don't even go there, Jack, he said to himself. Unwilling to face his little problem, he immediately turned his mind back to the auction.

The auctioneer walked out followed by a man dragging a small, black goat behind him. "First on the auction block today is this young kid. What am I bid for him?" Jack didn't even want to watch that. He would have liked to have bought the goat and taken him home, but what would a goat do on a ship? He knew where the poor little fellow was probably bound and tried to block his mind from thinking about it.

When the auctioneer had first brought out the goat, a bitter bark of laughter had escaped Faith's dark lips for she could not for the life of her understand why any one would want to start a sex slave auction with a goat. After all, why bother with an animal when there were humans for the taking? When bidding nearly instantly exploded, however, all traces of her smile vanished. "Damn," she muttered under her breath but did not move her gaze from the auction block as she waited for the boy whose name she still did not even know.

* * *

Logan had waited until the very last person was in the wagon. 'Ro had stayed with him, and they were the last two in the wagon. He was sitting and holding her, cuddled up against his side, where he could look down into her eyes. He could see tears shimmering there as she kept glancing away, and he felt as though there was something missing but wasn't sure what. "What's wrong, 'Ro?" he asked her with deep concern in his voice.

"It . . . It is nothing of any real importance, Logan," she answered him in a hushed whisper. The sadness in her voice matched the grief in her heart, however, even as her eyes turned back in the direction she had been glancing in throughout the entire ride. "It should not hinder the others' safety."

"It concerns me, little darlin'. Is it somethin' I can do fer ya, somethin' I can get fer ya?" Whatever it was, he would not mind doing it. Anything to make the light come back in her eyes and a smile come on her face. He had yet to see her smile, not that she had had much that day to smile about, but she had survived. "Tell me, an' I'll do it."

"It is . . ." She sighed as she laid her face against his chest, tearing her teary eyes from the horizon she'd been looking in. "I did not plan to live this day and did not wish my most prized possession to become tarnished. I am not . . . a possessive person," she tried to explain, a pang of guilt shooting through her, "but this . . . It was the only thing I had left from my parents."

"What is it, little darlin'?" he wondered what could be causing such deep grief but understood that if it was the only thing left to her by her parents, it was important.

"Just a locket," she answered softly, "but it had a picture of the three of us." She did not say that it was the only picture that she had of her parents, let alone that that picture was the only way she could remember what they looked like.

Without another word, Logan got up from her and made his way up to where he could talk to Xena. "Xena, we're takin' these people away from their homes. I realize they're not safe here, but they're all leavin' everything they own. Couldn't we go by their homes for a few minutes an' let 'em collect at least a change o' clothes?"

Xena was extremely surprised that Wolverine was bothering to care about what others might be needing. "Hadn't thought of it," she said, "but you have a point there." She then called to the dragons, "Hold it, boys!" They stopped so swiftly, digging their mighty claws into the ground, that Meesy was nearly sent hurtling through the air. In fact, he would have been had Gabrielle, who sat beside Xena, not quickly reached out and grabbed him in mid-air. As soon as the dragons had stopped, Gabrielle had Meesy's ruffles settled.

"We have a dilemma," Xena called back to the rest of the group. "The people need to get some of their belongings, and some of us have to get to Jack. Knowing him, he's probably turned the town on its ear by now. Wolverine, you coming with us?"

"Me?"

"Yes. I'll need your nose to pick up Jack's scent."

"Xena, I've never refused to go before, but I need to stay here this time. Take Wolf, Carl, Cole, anybody but me!" She looked at him in surprise as he was usually the first one, when Faith wasn't around, to want to fight. "I'm leaving you here for backup for Gabrielle. Do not spend more than a few minutes at your homes! Every minute is a costly delay, and we _will_ leave without you! Get to the ship as soon as you can, and get it ready to go." She would never leave Gabrielle, but the others did not need to know that.

Xena looked around at the men. "Lex. Clark. Carl," she called, talking down to him as she saw he was jumping up and down in his eagerness to go. "Cole." She wished Angel and Brendan were there, but she had no ideal where either was. "Wolf, take the men and head toward the town."

Wolf did not want to go. He was shaking his head and looking at Xena, but before he could speak, he heard the gentle but firm voice of the white-haired woman. "He will be needed for protection for Elvira. She lived in the heart of our little city while the rest of us lived away. It will be dangerous for her to return there, far more than for any of the rest of us, but there is something that she absolutely must retrieve."

"Whatever!" Xena snapped angrily and jumped off of the wagon seat. "Do what you must, but get to the ship as soon as you can!" She pulled herself back up to the wagon long enough to pull Gabrielle to her and kiss her gently. "See you soon, my love."

No sooner had Xena's lips left hers than Gabrielle's mouth was open to begin talking. She wanted to tell her beloved so much. She wanted to tell her to be careful and to return to her soon, but she also wanted to tell her not to be too hard on the others. After all, that day was probably the worst day of their lives, and they could not help having to return to their homes to retrieve their belongings nor needing protection for the trip. Xena had jumped down and taken off running before Gabrielle had managed to get even one word out, however, and the bard sighed even as she watched the men following closely behind their Captain. "Be careful," she whispered under her breath before turning her attention to the group she had been left in charge of.

* * *

Realizing that they would have to walk to Port Royal, Wolf had gotten down and lifted Elvira down beside him. Gonk jumped down right behind them, but Wolf did not want him to go. It would be too dangerous for the little dog. "Gabrielle, we will meet you at the ship."

Elvira scooped down and picked up Gonk. Looking into his eyes, she told him, "You can't come with us, Gonk." He whimpered pleadingly, but she shook her head. "Not this time, sweetheart." She had heard both Xena and Wolf talking to the blonde and knew that the woman was now in charge of what remained of their group. "See that nice, blonde lady sitting there?" she asked Gonk, pointing the dog to where he had no choice but to look at Gabrielle. "If you're a good boy, she might let you stay with her." Elvira's eyes lifted from her poodle to face the blonde. "Could you, please?" she asked her pleadingly. "I don't want anything to happen to him, but he can't come with us."

"I understand that," Gabrielle replied. She glanced to Meesy who now sat beside her as she asked, "But how does he get along with cats?"

Gonk had chased a few cats in his time, but Elvira was quick to not let on to that fact. "He'll be a perfect little angel," she quickly assured Gabrielle with an innocent smile.

"And he'll obey?" Elvira nodded even as Gonk's and Meesy's eyes met. Gabrielle sighed. She already had a feeling she would regret it, but nonetheless she relented, "Okay. He can stay, but he'd best behave. We can't have any bull off of him."

Elvira nodded again. "We understand, don't we, Gonk?" She gently wrapped her fingers around the poodle's snout as she moved his head in a nod. "And we thank her, too, don't we?" Again, she made Gonk nod.

Gabrielle stifled a sigh and shook her head. She had never been able to understand what it was about some women and their dogs. "Okay. Wolverine, take him for now. You two should get along," she added hopefully. And if you don't, she thought to herself, I'm sure you can at least make him settle down and behave.

"Thank you." Elvira breathed a sigh of relief as she handed Gonk up to Wolverine. "You behave now," she warned the poodle.

Wolverine growled under his breath. Why was he the one picked to handle the crap all the time? Just because he was a little bit taller than Carl but shorter than everybody else, they always picked on him to get the crap details. "Dog, stay," he said, pointing into the wagon and putting the dog on the floor.

"Thank you," Elvira repeated, speaking to both Wolverine and Gabrielle. "And, Gonk," she warned, "I mean it. You do as they say or you get whatever they give you." The poodle looked at his mistress in shock, but she turned away and started to walk off, heading toward the town. She could hear him whimpering behind her but knew she had to ignore it.

As they walked, Wolf noticed that there was not much pile-up of snow in the area they passed through. A single flake floated down every now and then, but it grew deeper under their feet as Wolf and Elvira headed toward the town. Behind them, Wolf could barely make out Gabrielle's voice as she asked for a volunteer amongst the survivors to give her directions. An answer came from Ororo followed immediately by the clacking of the reins and Gabrielle calling to the shapeshifters as the group took off again.

* * *

Meanwhile, the auction had proceeded at a fast pace and escalated from animals to children, another practice that soured Jack's stomach and made him even more determined to put an end to the evil place. He would have liked to have rescued each and every one of them but was forced to stand, acting oblivious to anything that was brought out. He figured they'd keep Will for last or at least one of the last ones, and it seemed that it was true as they kept passing over him and getting everything else.

His musings were interrupted by a sharp intake of breath at his elbow. Glancing down at her, Jack saw that Faith seemed to be choking and gasping for air. It was then he heard the auctioneer saying, "A rare find, ladies and gentlemen! Blue eyes, blonde hair, strong muscles, male -- _and_ a _virgin_!" One look back up at the auction block affirmed what Jack had already known for the boy who Faith was so surprisingly concerned over stood there with his head lowered. "What am I bid for this fine specimen?" the auctioneer called out.

The crowd went wild with bidding, but every time a bid was made, Selene made a higher one. She was determined that that particular boy was hers. Faith remained silent for the time being, biding her time as she waited for the crowd to reach what they would think would be a final price. She knew the sooner she spoke, the sooner eyes would be drawn to Jack and her and they would risk being discovered.

Jack slipped the bag out of his pocket and fumbled through its contents. Brendan had made quite the haul. The bag not only held gold pieces but also jewelry; Jack knew he could not pull the jewelry out there, however. He wondered how high the price would go on the boy and if they had enough. How much had Faith managed to get? He looked at her questioningly just as the loud-mouthed bitch, who had finally grown impatient of the bidding war, yelled out. "ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND!" Her cold voice cut through the crowd like icicles and brought gasps from many in the crowd.

Faith nearly choked on that amount, and Jack could tell from the sound she made and her paled face that she did not have enough. He handed her the bag. "There's at least another seventy-five thousand in there," he whispered urgently to her. "Use it, and buy the boy."

Shock flashed in Faith's shining, dark eyes as she looked up at Jack. She grabbed the bag as if it were a lifeline for her instead of the kid even as the auctioneer announced, "Going twice!"

"ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND AND _ONE_!" she yelled out, her voice thundering out over the crowd.

* * *

Having neither the stomach nor the heart to look out at those who had come to bid on him, Dawson had kept his head down the entire time. His heart and soul were broken. He was full of despair, and he dreaded what would come next. He figured the awful, raven-haired woman had bought him and knew he'd rather be dead than be owned by her.

Just as Dawson heard the auctioneer say "Going twice!" to her, he heard another voice, one he thought he'd never hear again, bid one hundred thousand and one. He could hardly breathe but dared to look up. His scared eyes met the girl's even as he heard the raven-haired woman telling the auctioneer that she had plenty more at home but that was all that she had brought with her and she absolutely must have that boy. "Look, lady," the auctioneer answered. "Either pay it up now or you lost!"

"But I don't have it with me!" she snapped at him. "I'll have your head!"

"I doubt that, ma'am. The Governor put me in this job," the auctioneer coolly informed her amongst a chorus of shocked gasps from the crowd. "He might have _your_ head, but my honey _won't_ have mine."

"Well, I never!" she exclaimed in sharp protest.

He grinned at her. "Maybe you should've!" He then returned to his crowd and said, "Going once! Going twice! Sold to the little lady in the crowd! Step up here and pay; then he's all yours."

Faith had been busily pulling out the coins she needed from the other bag and dumping them into her own. Once she had only what she needed, she shoved the bag back at Jack even while muttering under her breath, "Little lady, my ass."

They snatched Dawson roughly off the stage and took him over to the table where the money collector was. He tried not to be overly eager, but inside his heart was singing. The strange girl had cared enough for him that she had rescued him! He was in love for the first time in his life, and he didn't even know her name!

* * *

Meanwhile, it had not taken long for Gabrielle's group to reach the little cropping of houses where the Witches had lived. As soon as they had stopped, Wolverine had helped each of the ladies out of the wagon. Wesley rushed off after Fred, and Lorne and Joxer looked at each other as the four sisters scampered off in the same direction. "Joxer, go with them," Gabrielle was quick to say as she did not relish the thought of being left alone with him. As an after-thought, she added, "Lorne, you probably should go with him so that he doesn't destroy their house before they can even get their stuff out." She knew she did not need to tell Wolverine to go with Ororo.

Lorne nodded and headed off after Joxer. It did not take him long to reach the small house that the Halliwells lived in. He could hear their voices chattering about what they needed to get. One word in particular kept getting repeated -- The Book. He didn't know what the Book was, but he hoped when they got through with it, he'd get a chance to read it. There were not many books on the Pearl except the Captain's books, and he had already read those. About the only new reading he ever got was Gabrielle's scrolls, Celina's poetry, and the songs he wrote himself.

* * *

The crowd did not bother to make way for Faith as she worked her way toward the money collector. Everybody else was already focused on the next stock up for grabs, but Selene, the woman who had been so determined to win Dawson but had failed, spat words of fury from where stood in the audience. When she caught sight of Faith, she hissed at her, "He won't be yours for long, bitch!"

"Just try to take him," Faith threatened. Her voice was low and dangerous, and her eyes met Selene's with a calmness that surprised the older woman.

Selene hissed in response. She wanted to run the girl through there and then but knew she could not yet make her move as long as there were so many witnesses. Faith tossed her head in dismissal at the other woman and, ignoring the growl, continued forward to the collector's table. Finally reaching it, she set the bag down on the table with a clunk. "Here ya go." Glancing at Dawson, she added, "I trust the boy's legit?"

"As far as we can tell, ma'am, and healthy too. No sores of any kind." He began to count the money and made out a bill of sale to her. "I'd keep the chains on him if I were you. New slaves tend to want to run away." He tossed the end of the chain to her. "Have fun."

Faith caught the chain smoothly even as she smirked at the collector. "Chasing 'em down and breaking 'em in's half the fun."

"If you get tired of him, you can always pass him around amongst us. We'll pay you for the pleasure of his company."

Dawson hung his head, not saying a word. He was so scared that he was dreaming and that she wasn't there that he was afraid to say anything at all.

"I'm sure ya would," Faith retorted to the collector, "but I like to use my men till there's not a drop left." She walked away with a proud sway to her hips and kept her cover as she called back to Dawson, "Step lively, boy. I can't wait to get you home and deflower you. You just looked too damn good up there," she growled lustfully, running her tongue over her lips.

Dawson gulped. If deflowering him was anything like she'd already done to him, he couldn't wait either! He followed close behind her, trying hard not to fall over the chains.

**To Be Continued . . .**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

As soon as the Halliwell sisters had reached their home, Prue, being the oldest, had taken charge. She sent Phoebe for the clothes and was about to tell Piper what to get when she noticed that both Piper and Paige were missing. Before she could speak, Joxer asked, "Hey, where'd they go?"

Prue smiled as she thought of her sisters' favorite past times. "Piper probably went for the kitchen things, and Paige went for her artwork. I need to get something from my Mother's room. I'll only be gone a moment. Wait here," she instructed, but as soon as she moved, Joxer followed. "What part of wait here don't you understand?" she asked him.

"Gabrielle told me to come with you," he answered.

"She didn't mean right on top of me, just to come to my house. Wait here," Prue repeated. She ran into her mother's room only to be followed closely by Joxer. She turned swiftly, her mouth open to warn him, but before she could get as much as one syllable out, he had pushed the door. Joxer thought the door shut because of his push, but Prue knew that it had slammed shut of its own accord. "You shouldn't have done that," she said. "We can't get out of here."

"What do you mean? All I have to do is open the door," Joxer said. The first thing he noticed was that there was no handle on the door. "Where's the handle?" he asked, glancing nervously around.

"There isn't one. I told you not to follow me. We keep a very special Book here, and one of the protections is that any one who is not a Halliwell who comes into this room will be trapped. So guess what? You just trapped us in here!" Her eyes blazed at him. "Why can't you follow a simple order!"

"Why couldn't you just tell me why you didn't want me to follow you instead of telling me not to follow you? Gabrielle said to follow you."

"Well, Gabrielle can't get us out of here!" Prue said. "I think . . . My family doesn't even know we're in here, and they won't be able to get me out either!"

* * *

Elsewhere in the house, Prue's sisters had gathered up what they needed and were looking for Prue. They couldn't find her. "The Book," Piper finally said. "She must have gone for the Book."

Only then did Phoebe notice the door to their mother's and grandmother's room was shut. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers as she stared at it. "Uh-oh!"

"Uh-oh what?" Paige's arms were full of her art and supplies, and they made a great bustling sound as she turned to look in the direction Piper and Phoebe were already looking in. Seeing that the door was shut, she spoke for all of them. "Crap!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the auction, Brendan had been watching everything from the shadows of an alley he had chosen to hide in. He had never been too far from Jack and Faith and could have easily ran to their aid at any time. He had continued to keep checking on Jack as they both waited for Will to be released to the block even while watching Faith retrieve Dawson. She was about to walk past his alley when he stepped just out of the shadows and whispered her name, "Faith." He jerked his head urgently toward the alley.

Faith had actually been scanning the alleys for Brendan, knowing that they needed to be together when the fight started and also realizing that she could use his help to free the boy from his chains, when Brendan had shown himself. She nodded and began to follow him into the alley even as he ducked quickly back into the shadows.

Despite the chains, Dawson smiled. He finally had a name for his beloved! Faith! It's such a beautiful name! he thought. Faith Leery sounds good to me. I hope she likes it. He almost stumbled over the chains which were way too big for his small body in his efforts to keep up with her. He was glad for a chance to sit down in the alley. He had been standing forever as they had had him tied up against the wall so that every one could see him. He was exhausted but still smiling as he kept thinking to himself, Faith, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman, and she's all mine!

Faith still had not spoken to the boy, and even now, as she released his chain and let him sit, she turned her attention to Brendan instead. "Want the hands or the feet, Wolfboy?" she asked him as one hand slipped between the tight, black leather of her bodice and her breasts.

The sound Brendan made in the depths of his throat was akin to a wounded pup, and Faith looked at him in questioning surprise. Seeing the look in his eyes, she was quick to reassure him. "Hell no, not that!" It was then that she slipped out a pick from between her breasts. She twirled it in her fingers, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Shaking his head, Brendan told her, "You could have said that to begin with."

"How was I supposed to know you were gonna jump to eatin' the kid?"

"WHAT!" Dawson screeched out loud. "You're gonna eat me! Please don't! I'm bony! I don't have any meat! I won't be any trouble! I promise!" he said in a high-pitched voice, almost screaming his words. He had never expected the girl of his dreams to eat humans! What was she -- a Vampire! He prayed that she wasn't and that she wouldn't eat him, not that way any way. To be eaten while still alive would be a horrid way to go! He struggled to rise to his feet, but he couldn't get up for the chains.

When Dawson had first began screeching so fearfully, Faith had thrown back her head in laughter. Brendan had looked at her, stunned and loudly clearing his throat until she'd finally looked again. Only then did she see the true fear shining in the boy's panicked blue eyes. "Easy, kid," she told him, placing her hands on his shoulders and gently pushing him back down. "We're not going to eat any one. Wolfboy could," she said with a toss of her head in Brendan's direction, "but never does, and I'm just a bitch, not a Vamp, Were, or anything like that."

Dawson almost collapsed upon himself as he sat back down. Today had been the most horrible day of his life yet the most exciting at the same time. Had it really only been earlier that morning that he had been laid for the first time by the same beautiful woman who now owned him? He couldn't get over it. He sat quietly, waiting for her to get the chains off. His arms ached to hold her, and his body craved her touch. He desperately wanted her to ride him again but not in front of the Wolfboy. He would have to bide his time. They'd be alone soon enough, and maybe he'd be recovered enough that he could interest her again. At least, he hoped so.

"Didn't mean to make ya wet yourself," Faith told him as he seemed to relax again under her touch. She could feel his muscles under her fingertips and found that she could not resist slowly running her hands down his arms. She decided she'd deal with the chains that bound his hands.

The touch of her hands sent thrills racing up and down his body, but her words angered him. "I didn't wet myself, Faith," he spat out, "and my name is Dawson, not kid. But you did scare the Hell out of me. Too much has happened today. I can't believe today started out so wonderfully only to end up turning into my worst nightmare and then turning up good again because you saved me. Thank you, Faith." He tried to smile at her, but he was so exhausted that he barely managed it.

"Don't thank me," she was quick to tell him. "I only did it 'cause I couldn't stand the way that bitch was measuring you. An animal doesn't even deserve that kinda treatment, but once we get outta here, you're on yer own again, kid."

Brendan shook his head on that note. "I don't think you can do that, Faith. The Captain's got a share on this, and I don't think he's going to be so quick to turn the kid a loose. He likes to get his money's worth."

"Jack's after Will, Virgin Boy," she snapped up at Brendan, her dark eyes cutting through him, "not after Daw -- " She stopped herself quickly, realizing she'd almost spoken his name. "Not after the boy here," she quickly amended, "an' he already knew I was gonna set him free."

"Yes, but wasn't that before he gave you money? Who knows? He might want him to take care of Will, so you can't just let him go till you talk to him."

"He doesn't need the kid for Will. He wants Will himself, if ya haven't figured that out yet, and he's got the Lewis's for the healing."

"Yes. He doesn't have a servant for Will, though, and I'm sure he will want Will to have one." Brendan continued, desperately scratching at any ideal that might keep Faith from releasing Dawson before the kid was in a safe place. "If you turn the kid a loose, he's going to be mad."

"I'm shaking," Faith bit back, sarcasm dripping heavily on her tongue, "but I'll tell ya what, Wolfie. Much as I hate it and as much as I _don't give a damn_, you've got a point. So here." She tossed the chain's lead at him. "Have a field day, but if I find out he's bein' used for slavery or that any of you bastards have hurt him, there's gonna be some throat cutting," she promised. "I don't care if it is the Captain's ass I have to kill; I'm not lettin' anybody hurt that kid as long as I'm around him."

She had just finished opening the lock on the chains that bound Dawson's hands. Letting them drop, Faith stood again and slipped the pick back into its hiding place. She looked from Brendan to Dawson before turning back to Brendan. "And don't get him killed." With that said, she turned to walk out of the alley.

"Where are you going, Faith?" Brendan called after her.

"To kill something," she snapped, her brown eyes blazing black, "but don't worry. I'll be around if you get that mangy fur of yours in a wrangle." With that, she left the alley, leaving the two alone.

* * *

Meanwhile, Prue was pacing the floor and glaring angrily at Joxer. "You know they're going to leave us! We'll never get out of here!"

"Sure we will," Joxer said. "Gabrielle wouldn't leave me." He looked around for a window or another door but saw that there were neither. "Did you say your mother did a spell on this? Well, why don't you just undo it?"

"I can't. I -- I don't know how to do spells!"

"But you're a Witch!" he yelped.

"Yes, but I don't have any powers. Mother didn't want us knowing. She thought it would protect us."

"Your mother and your grandmother were Witches yet they never told you anything. Gee, some women you can never get to shut up, and some women never say anything! HELP!" he screamed, hoping some one would hear him.

"SHUT UP!" Prue screamed back at him. "Nobody can hear you, and that means **_NOBODY_**!"

"You can!" Joxer retorted instantly. Prue pushed him. She had had too much of the little man. Would somebody please come and rescue her!

* * *

Brendan shook his head as he watched Faith go. "You're going to have to learn to overlook her, Dawson," he told the kid as he knelt beside him to free his feet. "Believe me, that's the only way any of us get through the day without battling her."

"She's beautiful," Dawson sighed. "Why's she so angry?" he asked the wolfman.

"Who knows?" Brendan asked with a roll of his shoulders. He'd often tried to figure Faith out but never gotten anywhere close to doing so. "Believe it or not, she actually prides herself on that bit -- attitude of hers."

Dawson didn't know how to answer that, so instead he said, "Thanks for helping me and for not eating me. It was such a relief when she bought me, but she doesn't want me. Why?"

Brendan could smell the kid's emotions and knew he had it bad. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, Dawson, but she's never wanted any one twice."

"But I intend to marry her!" It slipped out of his mouth before Dawson could stop himself. "I'll make her happier than she's ever been! Then she won't be so bitchy! She won't need that attitude any more."

Brendan reached a hand up to pat Dawson's shoulder reassuringly. "Keep telling yourself that."

"You'll see. It might take a long time, but I'll win her heart. No matter how long it takes, I won't stop until I do."

Brendan didn't want to be the one to tell the kid that Hell would permanently freeze over before any one managed to melt Faith's ice, so instead he changed the subject. "Tell me," he spoke quietly. "Have you ever been in a fight?"

"No. Not really. My Father beat the Hell out of me, but that's not really a fight. I tried to fight back against him, but I'm just not any good at it and he was my Father. Why?"

Brendan breathed a silent sigh of relief that Dawson had not seen him wince when he'd spoken of the beatings he endured at his father's hands. "Because by the time that auction's over," he answered, "all Hell's going to break loose. You'd best stick close to me and the others. We'll protect you, but don't trust any one unless you can tell they're with us." He still hoped more of the crew would come for he knew that there was no way that Jack, Faith, and he could take on every one in the place and live through the battle. Although his own life was not important to him, Jack's and even Faith's lives were. He straightened and pocketed his pick as the rest of the chains fell away from Dawson. "Can you stand?" he asked him, knowing he was exhausted but would have to force himself at least a little further.

After a moment's struggling, Dawson managed to get to his feet. "Thank you, mister. I'll stay close to you."

"My name's Brendan," he replied. Remembering Faith's constant taunts, he added, "Not Wolfboy."

"Well, she calls me kid. My name's Dawson." He extended his hand to Brendan.

Brendan took the boy's outstretched hand and shook it in his own, much larger hand. He was careful not to use too much strength. Releasing him, he walked to the mouth of the alley. "Come here, Dawson, and look out. Do you see Faith?"

Dawson walked to the edge of the alley and looked out but shook his head when he could not spot Faith. Brendan did see Faith, but as she was already picking a fight, he decided it would be best not to point her out to the kid after all. "What about that man with the parrot on his shoulder?" he tried again.

Dawson could see a man with a parrot on his shoulder. "I see him."

"Now look a couple places to his right. See the man dressed in all the lace?"

"Yes, I see him. He's a dandy, isn't he?"

Laughter broke from Brendan's throat at first, but he quickly hid it in coughing. "Not highly likely," he told the boy after clearing his throat. "That's only a disguise," he whispered to him. "That man's our Captain, Jack Sparrow."

"_That's_ Jack Sparrow?" Dawson whispered in awe. "I heard he was the meanest, baddest Pirate that ever walked the Earth!" he said eagerly. "That means _you're_ a Pirate!" His voice got a little bit higher as he turned to look at Brendan.

Quickly placing a hand over the boy's mouth, Brendan ducked back into the alley with Dawson trapped in one arm. "We're Pirates," he whispered to him, "but not the kind you've always heard about. Some of those tales you've heard about Jack are true, but most are spread by his own tellings. He's not as bad as he makes himself out to be. He saved my life." He looked down at Dawson but could see nothing of the boy's face except for his blonde hair. "You're not going to go squealing at the top of your lungs now, are you?" he asked rather nervously.

A muffled sound came from behind Brendan's hand, and Dawson shook his head, his eyes shining. When Brendan lifted his hand, Dawson answered, "No way! _Wow!_ A real live Pirate, especially **_Captain_** Jack Sparrow! I can't believe my luck! I always wanted to run away to sea; now I'll be a Pirate too!" He grinned from ear to ear.

Brendan released Dawson but touched a hand to his forehead as he shook his head. Faith was not going to like this, and he wasn't sure at all how Jack would take to the boy's case of hero worship. "You have to be quiet," Brendan warned Dawson, "and I have to keep a watch on the Captain for when Will comes out and he signals us."

Dawson's eyes were glued on Jack. There was no way he was going to take his eyes away! He was looking forward to the adventure to come.

* * *

Lorne did not know how long he had stood outside the Halliwells' house, waiting for them to return. He knew they were losing precious time that they could not afford to lose, so he opened the door and walked in after knocking. He was just in time to hear Paige's sharp exclamation of, "Crap!"

"Crap what?" Lorne asked, his red eyes taking in the looks on three of the sisters' faces. He wondered why they were all staring at a closed door with such fear on their faces.

The instant Phoebe and Paige saw Lorne, they started screaming. "DEMON! DEMON! DEMON!"

"Yeah," Lorne said, "I am. What's the problem?"

"CALM DOWN, THE BOTH OF YOU!" Piper had to yell to be heard over her sisters' terrified shouts. "Yes, he's a Demon, but he's a good man! His name is Lorne, and he's one of those who helped to rescue us!"

Both girls appeared to calm down. "Crap, Prue's locked in the room," Paige explained. She did not apologize for her screaming, however. She thought Piper had taken leave of her senses but didn't say so.

Phoebe got close enough to Lorne that she could reach out and poke him with one finger. As she did so, Piper exclaimed scoldingly, "**_Phoebe!_**"

"Well, I had to see if he was real! _Wow!_ A real Demon! Don't we need to do something with him?"

"Like what, Phoebe? Feed him?"

"No! You know, get rid of him? A spell or something?"

"Phoebe, you know we're not allowed to use spells! We don't know what they'll do! Mother would be very upset!" Paige protested.

"Well, Mother isn't here any more, and we have to do something about him!"

"That is **_ENOUGH_**!" Piper thundered, her brown eyes blazing angrily at her sisters. She continued to exclaim as she stalked across the room to where Phoebe stood with Lorne. "We are not vanquishing anybody!"

"Vanquishing?" Phoebe asked innocently.

"That's how you get rid of evil things?" Paige added.

"He's _not_ evil!" Piper snapped. Looking apologetically at Lorne, she shook her head as she told him sincerely, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I get it all the time," Lorne reassured her. "What can we do to get your sister out of the room? And don't tell me Joxer's in there with her."

"Huh . . . Yes? And we don't know," Phoebe answered quickly.

"I don't know any magic spells that open doors. At least," Lorne amended, "not any doors that we want to get into. Would your mother have told any one else about this room?"

"Our Grandmother knew," Paige answered.

"Anybody still living?" Lorne asked.

"There's only one that might," Piper told him, relieved that her sisters finally appeared to be calming down again. "Ororo and our mother were very close; she might know."

"Well, I'll watch for her. As soon as I see her coming, I'll get her to come in," Lorne said. He stepped outside the door just in time to see a cat looking directly at him. The cat stared, then spit and hissed at him. "Nice kitty," Lorne spoke to the cat. "Here, kitty." He knelt down and held his hand out. "Kitty, kitty? Kitty, kitty?" With a loud meow, the cat came to him and began to rub against his hand. "Nice kitty. Do you belong here?" Lorne asked. "I bet you're hungry." With very little effort, Lorne picked the cat up.

* * *

Lorne had no sooner gone outside than the three sisters heard a familiar, feline voice spitting and hissing just outside their door. Phoebe and Paige, jumping up and down, exclaimed, "See, Piper? We told you he was evil! Kit wants him!"

Piper sighed and shook her head. Had her little sisters always been this aggravating to their mother? "You two, stay here," she commanded them, "and for the record, I'm telling you again, Lorne is good. Skin color does not make a man." Walking across the room, she opened the door and had to smile at what she saw as Lorne stood, cuddling Kit.

"Look what I found!" Lorne said, beaming like a little boy who had just discovered the greatest treasure imaginable. "I think he's very hungry. Is he yours?"

"Ours," Piper said in reference to her entire family, "but keep him a minute at least." Though her heart was still heavy with grief, the scene had brought a smile to her lips. Turning back inside the room, she called to her sisters, "You two get over here."

Phoebe and Paige raced over to the door and looked out. They could not believe that Kit was letting the Demon hold him! "But -- But -- But -- " Paige stuttered. "Kit never lets anything evil hold him!"

"That's because Lorne's _not evil_!" Piper repeated yet again.

"Sorry, Mister Lorne," Phoebe apologized sheepishly. "Thank you for finding Kit."

"No problem, Phoebe. Do you have something Kit can eat? I think he's hungry."

"We sure do," Phoebe answered. "Come inside, Mister Lorne, and we'll feed Kit."

"No, I need to stay out here and wait for Ororo, so you feed Kit," he said with a smile and handed her the cat. Kit seemed reluctant to leave his arms but was still glad to get something to eat. Piper, standing beside Lorne, breathed a sigh of relief. "Hang in there, Piper; it gets better," Lorne assured her with a smile. "Have you got everything you need except for your sister?"

Piper nodded but added, "And what she went in to get." Her arms were still loaded with a couple of pots and books.

Lorne glanced eagerly at the books. "Do you think, when you're finished with them, that maybe I could read them? We never have enough books aboard ship."

"I'm not sure you'd want to," Piper replied honestly, looking up at him in surprise. "They're cookbooks."

"Cookbooks? Do they teach you how to cook? I'd like that. At least, enough to make Jack a surprise cake for his birthday. The cook never gets it right. It always comes out lumpy. Jack never complains, but none of us want to eat it."

Piper made a face. "Doesn't your cook know how to cook?" she asked him.

"Not really. He just sort of got put into the job. We don't have a real cook. The one who complains gets to cook, so none of us complain, but I wouldn't mind if I knew how." He smiled at her.

"We have a lot of other cookbooks," Piper told him, "but none of them really teach you how to cook -- we didn't need that sort of thing --, but I could teach you."

"That would be great! We can run Joxer out of the kitchen! He's the cook right now. Do you have a barrel or anything that we can pack this in?"

"Every barrel we have is already full. Flour, sugar, you name it."

"Then we'll take them all with us. It might come in handy. We haven't been able to take on supplies yet."

"We'd planned to donate what we could and throw away the rest but didn't have enough warning this morning to do so, so we have plenty left. Are you sure there's room on the ship for all the books, though?" she asked him.

"How many do you have?" he asked.

"Let me put it this way," she answered with a grin. "My Grandmother loved to cook; my Mother loved to cook; and I love to cook. That give you any ideal?"

His mouth fell open. He could not imagine having so many books to read! "If you put them in a bag or something, I can start carrying them to the wagon. It should not be long before Ororo returns."

Piper nodded. "I'll do so," she told him, slipping back inside. "You know," she called back, "I could put Paige on guard duty instead if you'd like to come look."

"Okay," Lorne replied.

"Paige?" Piper spoke her sister's name meaningfully.

"Yes?" Paige asked.

"You heard me," Piper told her.

"What? Are we ready to go?"

Piper rolled her eyes. It was just like her sister to pretend she hadn't been eavesdropping, even when Piper knew she had. Anything to get out of work, she thought.

"I'm going," Paige said, "but I don't want to miss anything. Be sure you tell me _everything_!"

Piper raised a single eyebrow as she looked questioningly at her youngest sister. "And just _what_ do you think there will be to tell?"

"You know, whatever you and Mister Green are up to . . . " Paige trailed off with a mischievous look.

Piper blushed as red as Lorne was green. "Paige Halliwell!" she exclaimed. "You know very well that ladies do not consort in such a manner!"

"Yeah, _right_."

"_Paige . . . _" Piper ground out."

"Going, going, gone!" she exclaimed as she rushed out the door. "But," Piper could hear her calling back, "I still expect full details!"

Piper shut her eyes and shook her head. "This is not my life," she muttered under her breath. "This is _not_ my life." Though her eyes were closed, her feet still carried her to the kitchen.

Lorne followed her into the kitchen but stopped in his tracks when he saw their kitchen cupboard. He could not believe how many books were on the top shelf, and he made a mad grab for each of them. "We're taking all of these!" he said excitedly. "Captain Jack won't mind. He likes books. He has quite a few, and I've read all of them, some of them even twice."

Piper opened her eyes and had to smile at the eagerness on Lorne's face. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to any of our books, Mister Lorne, except for one."

"Thank you, Miss Piper, and please call me Lorne."

"Only if you call me Piper," she returned with a gentle smile.

He nodded and then said, "I shall enjoy them and take care of them." He gathered them up as though they were the best treasures in the world. "Do you have a sack for them?"

Piper walked over to a pile of gunny sacks that lay next to the fireplace. Picking them up, she turned to him, "If you don't mind cat hairs?"

"Cat hairs have never been known to bother me, ma'am."

"Good, because we've got plenty and we're not leaving Kit. We didn't want to, but we thought he was gone," she explained. "We sort of had to throw him out of the house to protect him."

As Piper began filling the bags and Lorne started carrying them out to the waiting wagon, he wondered how Jack was coping. Had he managed to rescue Will? Had he even found him yet? As soon as he reached the wagon, he told Gabrielle about the supplies and that he would start to bring them out.

"Wait," she told him, "and I'll move the wagon over closer and help you." Lorne jumped up to the seat and sat down beside her as she drove just a little space past the front door. "Hold it there, guys!" she called to the dragons. Dropping the reins, she jumped down and was about to head in with Lorne when she noticed Morph and Tom demorphing. "No," she told them, shaking her head. "We can handle it, and you two need to rest up for the trip back to the ship."

"Are you sure?" Morph asked as his mouth was the first to return to normal. His head was now human with brown hair and eyes, but the rest of his body was still the dragon's.

"Yes. Besides, you can spend this time with your wives, but keep an eye on Meesy and Gonk too. We don't need those two tieing up." Seeing Tom nod, Gabrielle turned and headed inside with Lorne.

* * *

Jack had watched the entire scene as Faith had paid for Dawson and walked away with him. He had smiled with satisfaction, knowing that Faith had the boy. He had yet to think of a way to convince her to keep him but knew that she was not stupid enough to turn him a loose here. Just before turning back around to the block, Jack caught sight of Faith alone near to the back of the crowd. He saw a man reach out and touch her, and just as swiftly, he saw her slash his hand off with her knife and knock him out before he could even get one yell out. Jack smiled to himself, knowing that Faith could take care of herself, but wondered where she had dumped the kid.

He turned back just as he heard the auctioneer begin to do a sales-pitch on the latest stock. "You've seen him in the blacksmith shop; now you can play with him in your own bedroom! What am I bid for this _bulging_ specimen of male?"

Again, the crowd went wild, both men and women bidding. Jack did not say anything but simply bided his time and kept his eyes on Will. The price kept going higher and higher, but he knew he had more than enough to cover it. When the crowd began to lose their steam, the price had gone up to five hundred thousand.

Will stood on the auction block, his head lowered and his face paled. His heart thundered so loudly in his ears that he had to struggle to hear the bidders as they called out prices on his very life. He trembled inside but kept his body still on the outside. Where was Jack! Why had he not heard his beloved's voice! Had something happened to him? Had he came to his senses and decided that he would not waste his life by endangering it to save him? His heart cried out, and he had to fight to keep the tears from his tightly closed eyes.

It grew quiet, and the auctioneer looked around the crowd. "Come on now. I know you've got more money out there! He's worth every bit of that, and then some! Am I bid anything else?"

Jack sniffed his handkerchief before calling out in his aristocratic voice, "Seven hundred and fifty thousand."

Though the voice that called out was not the one that Will was accustomed to hearing come from Jack's lips, his heart still told him that it was indeed the man he loved. Jack was there, and that meant everything was going to be okay. His heart leapt, soaring skyward despite the chains that bound him to the block. His eyes, longing to look at Jack, flew open, but Will knew better than to raise his head. He knew he could not let the others know that Jack was not there to buy him but to save him, and one glance at Jack at that time, when such emotion filled his heart, would surely give them away. Therefore, Will kept his head down even as he prayed that Jack would be able to buy him.

No sooner had Jack called out his bid than he heard an echoing voice full of icy bitchiness that grated on his every nerve respond. "Eight hundred thousand."

The auctioneer looked at Jack. "Eight hundred and fifty thousand."

No sooner had he spoken than Helvira bid again. "Nine hundred thousand."

"One million!" Jack called out loud enough that every one in the crowd could hear him. Shocked gasps rang amongst the rest of the audience as they parted before him, making a circle around him and clearing the path straight to the auction block. Jack had actually started forward, holding the bag in his hand, when none other than Helvira stepped before him. Her snake looked directly into his eyes, and Jack realized that she knew it was him. His hand went instantly to his sword, but he did not make a move yet. "Out of my way, wench."

Helvira kept one eye on him as she shot a look back at the auction block. She smiled icily at Jack even while calling out, "One million . . ." Her eyes moved back to the man in front of her as she teased, " . . . _and one_."

Jack, remembering the other bag, did not move but stared her straight in the eyes. "One million and two."

"And three."

"Four."

"Five!"

Jack forced a calm smile over his lips as he called out, "One million, seventy-four thousand, nine hundred, and ninety-nine."

Helvira and her snake hissed as one. Her black fingernails gleamed as she laid a casual hand on the hilt of her sword. "To the best bidder go the spoils," she responded smoothly, stepping out of his way.

Jack thought he was keeping an eye on her, but as he stepped eagerly forward to go to the collecting table, even as the auctioneer was hollering "Going, going, gone!", the bitch jumped toward him. From somewhere in the crowd, he heard Faith yell his name and whirled, whipping his sword out, just in time to meet her blade . . .

* * *

It had not taken Xena's group long to reach the skirts of Port Royal, but she didn't have a clue where Jack was. "Carl, do your thing."

"Which one?" the Gnome asked.

"Sniff. Find Jack."

Carl knew Jack's scent almost as well as he did his own. He followed it closely, almost stepping where Jack had stepped before him. "He went in here," Carl said and lifted the tent flap. It barely made a rustle as he went in but was opened wide when the others followed him. They passed through and found themselves in an open marketplace just in time to see Jack buying Will. In a blur, they saw a strange woman in a slinky, black outfit attack Jack, and then all Hell broke loose. They had made it just in time for the big fight!

**To Be Continued . . . **


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

CLANG! went Jack's sword as it met Helvira's stroke for stroke. He was surprised at the strength that was in her blows. Had he not killed her? Was this not her ghost he was fighting? Could ghosts materialize to the point that they were this strong? He knew that they could if they were cursed, as had been the Pirates that had taken the Black Pearl. He would have loved to have put a curse on Helvira if he had known how.

His sword met hers again, slicing through the air. Could this woman actually be alive? The only way he could tell was to slice her and see if she actually bled red blood, but to do that he had to get clear enough of her to get a cut in. He danced around as though he had suddenly taken leave of his senses, which caused her to pause just long enough that he slipped past her guard and sliced her above the left bosom. He was rewarded with a thin ribbon of red blood which her snake's forked tongue instantly flicked out and licked.

He didn't know how the bitch had done it, but she was alive! It made his skin itch all over, and he renewed his efforts at striking at her. His sword was a jewel and beautiful to handle. It made a singing noise as it fought, meeting hers again and again. He would not give in to her, and he would not let her take Will. His back was to Will, and that bothered him as he could not be sure that Will was safe. He was oblivious to all those around him as he strove to kill the bitch.

All around Jack, the people had broken into fighting. They had found that their money was missing and thought that the person next to them had taken it. Blows rained heavily upon every one, and there was plenty of action for all.

* * *

Meanwhile, from his post in one of the alleys, Brendan had seen the fighting break out. He started to rush forward but hesitated as he remembered Dawson. Grabbing the knife from his boot, he turned and, handing it to Dawson, told him, "Just try not to fall on it, and stay close." He hoped he had not made the wrong decision by entrusting a weapon to the kid, but the boy had to have some way of protection should they get seperated. Turning back, Brendan drew his own sword and rushed into the heat of battle.

Dawson looked at the knife he held in his hand. It was sharp and very wicked looking, and he wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. He thought, "Just try not to fall on it", was very good advice. Trembling in excited anticipation from the action that he was about to see, Dawson followed behind Brendan so closely that if Brendan had stopped, his nose would have hit him in the rear. He looked for Faith but did not see her.

* * *

The minute they had arrived, Xena had started in fighting. She could see Jack and knew who he was fighting. She could also see Will but could not reach him. Knowing that Jack would need help with Helvira, Xena started fighting her way to his side even as she thought, Isn't that the same bitch he already killed once? Damn, ain't life funny! Every time you think you kill somebody, they come back. She remembered all the ones who had come back to haunt her.

* * *

Lex pulled his sword out and began trying to fight his way to where Will was. He would rescue Will while Jack was handling whoever it was he was fighting. She was a weird-looking woman with a snake wrapped around her, and by damn, if she didn't look exactly like one of the Witches they had just rescued! Could it be the same one? As he stood with his mouth agape looking at her, one of the fighters jumped into his face with his sword outstretched and Lex set into fighting him hard. "CLARK," he called over the roar of battle, "DO YOU SEE THE WOMAN FIGHTING THE CAPTAIN?"

It seemed that the fighting had broken out all around them the very second they had stepped into the crowd. Though Lex had stopped, staring at something with a shocked look on his handsome face, Clark had not stopped fighting for even a second. His lover had left himself open, but Clark protected him as fiercely as a lion, his sword sending enemy after enemy falling though he did not kill a single one of them. He had his back to Lex's, fighting off two at one time, when he called to him about some woman the Captain was fighting. Even as Clark wondered what could be so fascinating about the bitch that had drawn his lover's attention, he called back to him, "I DON'T EXACTLY HAVE THE TIME TO LOOK AT SOME WOMAN RIGHT NOW!"

"WELL, YOU BETTER MAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS ONE! YOU'VE SEEN HER BEFORE!" Lex yelled even as he threw the guy he was fighting after having driven his sword through his gut. The dead guy hit three others, knocking them all down. Lex turned to see who Clark was fighting and lopped off the head of the one on the left, sending blood spewing.

Despite his strong ethics, Clark had to smile at the way Lex so easily handled the enemy. He wished he could be like that, but his blasted morals would never allow him to be. Finally managing to knock the sword from his opponent's hand, Clark delivered a quick blow to his head, then kicked him out of the way even as he fell.

Turning his back to Lex, Clark turned to try to look for the Captain only to find a blade poking him in the face. He smiled at the sword, innocence shining on his face, until a wicked grin flashed over his lips and he drove his knee up into the other man's groin. The man fell instantly, holding himself and screaming out in pain, and Clark stole that moment to look for the Captain. His blue eyes finally spotted Jack, and like Lex's before him, his mouth fell open in shock at the sight of the woman. Finally recovering himself just in time to meet another sword that had been headed for his neck, Clark yelled, "THAT CAN'T BE ELVIRA! SHE WENT WITH WOLF!"

Lex yelled back even as he continued to slice away at two men who were attacking him, "I THINK YOU'RE WRONG! I THINK IT IS HER! THERE CAN'T BE TWO WOMEN LIKE HER, CAN THERE? AND THERE'S NO MISTAKING THE LACK OF CLOTHES!"

"MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING NEW IN WOMEN'S FASHION?" Clark asked. "OR, AT LEAST," he added, his determined blows driving yet another opponent back, "IN HARLOTS'?"

Lex shook his head even as he stabbed the one on the right and continued to fight the one on the left. "IT HAS TO BE HER! I'D BE WILLING TO BET IT IS! WE'VE GOT TO GET TO WILL AND GET HIM SAFELY OUT OF HERE! JACK WOULD WANT US TO!"

"BUT THAT CAN'T BE ELVIRA!" Clark protested again. "IF SHE'S HERE, AND SHE'S EVIL, THAT WOULD MEAN WOLF -- " Fury filled him as he thought of their friend laying dead somewhere, and before he knew what he was doing, he had not only met another blade but had slipped past the wielder's guard, his sword going for his gut. Lex, having finished his man off, had turned and was just in time to see what Clark was about to unwittingly do. Knocking him out of the way, he drove his own sword home instead.

Without a further word, they continued to make their way to Will's side, fighting all the way but failing to realize that they were slowly drifting apart in the sea of fighters.

* * *

Carl did not have a sword, but he had brought the pole and was using its hook as a weapon, jabbing here and there. Being little and super fast, he was able to get in a stab, run, and be on the opposite side of the battlefield with a new opponent before his last one even hit the ground. He was covering a lot of ground and taking out men all over the place when he was suddenly surrounded by three with drawn swords pointed down at him. Looking sheepishly up at the towering brutes, he swallowed a gulp and said weakly, "Hi, guys?"

Suddenly, right behind the group that had Carl pinned down, Cole appeared. He yelled at the three, "HOW ABOUT PICKING ON SOME ONE YOUR OWN SIZE?" even as he lobbed three energy balls in quick succession right at the three men, putting them out of Carl's misery. "Carl, you need to be somewhere safe." He lifted Carl up and sat him on the top of one of the tents. "Stay up there till it's over."

Carl wanted to argue, but he knew Cole was right. "Okay, but if you need me . . . " his voice trailed off.

"If I need you, I'll call." Not that that's going to happen, he added to himself. He was turning around to leave when he was suddenly surrounded by buddies of the guys he had just offed.

"We saw what you did," one said. "We've gotta kill you now." They waved their swords at him, loathe to strike a man who did not have a sword drawn. Cole pulled his sword and began to lay to on the nearest one. He could have thrown energy balls and been done with it, but then he would have missed out on some of the action. Lobbing energy balls all the time wasn't a lot of fun, and that way you never got any exercise except for your pitching arm.

The fighting between the four men became hot and heavy. Suddenly, another one started sneaking up from behind Cole. Carl, who had been watching the entire thing, jumped off of the tent and landed on the man's head. The man started fighting like crazy, trying desperately to pull Carl off, even as Carl pulled out his little dagger and began stabbing him. The man swung his sword wildly in an attempt to knock Carl off but instead killed one of Cole's attackers.

Cole soon took out the other two. Turning, he lobbed an energy ball at the one that Carl was riding. He smoothly caught the Gnome in mid-air and put him back on the tent. "Stay up there, Carl," he told him again but then relented, "but thanks for the save." He bounded into the crowd and straight into another fight.

* * *

Even though Xena had not called Autolycus' name, he had followed behind them at a safe distance. He knew she was angry at him at the present time, because he had been moving first on her and then on Gabrielle every time he caught one of them alone, not caring which one he got as long as he got one. He winced, thinking back, at the remembered pain each had delivered him. Neither the hilt of a sword nor a staff was a fun thing to have in one's groin.

Now he was just as busily scooting around and emptying out pockets while everybody fought around him. He was never much of one for fighting if things could be obtained in other ways, and he was always looking for things. He knew exactly when Xena's eyes made contact with him, and he didn't look up, just darted around and got another pocket.

He thought he was going undetected when a big, beefy guy reached out and clasped a hand on him. "So you're the little runt who's been making his way through the crowd, stealing from everybody and stirring up so much trouble?" The guy's ham-sized fist wrapped around his neck, and he lifted him off of the ground by his throat.

Autolycus swung wildly with his feet, trying to kick the guy, but he couldn't quite reach him. His startled mind failed to register his sword. He had given himself up for a dead man when the man suddenly released him with a gurgled roar of pain. "Whoa there, big fella!" Autolycus cried for even as the man's hand released his throat, he began to fall on top of him. Autolycus tried to scurry out of the way, but still the man's lifeless body caught him, trapping him underneath his weight.

Faith appeared where the man had stood, her boot resting momentarily on his massive rear as she pulled her sword out from his back. Looking down at Autolycus, she informed him casually, "You can give me some of your loot after we get out of here, but you're digging your own way out."

"Don't leave me under here!" Autolycus cried out in protest. "I won't ever get out of here! They'll kill me! This guy must weigh a ton! Don't just leave me under here!"

Faith shrugged. "Should've thought about that before you let him pick you up." Hearing the swing of a blade behind her, she whirled to meet the sword. A swift upper swing blocked the blow, and she kicked the man back. Even as he stumbled backwards, her sword sliced through his middle, separating his torso from his legs.

Blood rained down around Autolycus. "WHAT'RE YOU DOING! SETTING UP A TRAP FOR BUZZARDS!" he yelled up at her. "I DON'T WANT TO BE BUZZARD BAIT! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" he yelled again at her retreating back as she delved deeper into the crowd, the blood of her opponents following her everywhere.

* * *

Brendan was well into making his way to his Captain when something white fell across the blade of his sword. Startled, he looked down at it only to find a snowflake shining up at him. "What the -- !" the wolf started to growl, but no sooner had he spoken than a fist plowed into his face, knocking him back into Dawson and sending them both to the ground that was already beginning to be covered by snow.

Shaking his head fiercely to clear his senses, Brendan raised his sword again just in time to block a fatal blow. As his sword met his opponent's, his legs kicked up, slamming into the man's and sending him stumbling backwards. Brendan quickly jumped to his feet and, with a quick blow from the hilt of his sword, had delivered the fallen man unconscious. Without another thought to the white stuff, the wolf delved back into the fighting.

Dawson lay on the ground where he had fallen with the wind knocked out of him. Gods knew how long he would have lain there if not for the falling snowflakes falling on his face, but they revived him. He got up, looking for Brendan, only to see that his friend had disappeared on him. He could not see him anywhere. He stood in the midst of the crowd, looking around, trying to see who he could see.

Blood was flying through the air and mixing with the snow. He followed the direction from whence the blood came and saw that Faith was generating it. Snowflakes shimmered in her dark hair, and her body, clothes, and hair were all smattered with blood. He prayed that none of it was hers even as he realized that, even when bloodied, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Should he go to be close to her?

He saw many others fighting but none that he recognized except for the Captain. He did not want to get close to him as long as he was fighting the strange woman with the snake. He had caught sight of the Captain just at the time that the Captain had managed to slice the woman's left breast. Dawson winced when the snake licked it, then sank its fangs in although the woman did not even appear to notice. He trembled at the sight.

Just where the Hell had Brendan gotten to! He finally decided just to go where Faith was even if it did make her mad. He wanted to feel safer. He began to make his way there.

* * *

Jack could not believe that Helvira did not notice that the snake was biting her, and the look of hatred that she kept shooting at Jack chilled his spine. Then he felt something white, wet, and cold hit him on the face. He had no ideal what it was. Some kind of weird rain, or maybe there was a bird up there with a stomach problem?

Why did it have to crap on me and not Helvira! he thought. Then he saw a flake land on her face and had to smile. Makes no difference to the bird which one of us he gets. Must be a condor, he mistakenly presumed as the flakes continued to fall. He continued to fight Helvira, matching her strike for strike, neither of them winning second blood.

As Helvira met Jack's sword yet again, her black lips parted to scream out over the roar of battle, "MAXAMILLION, GET YOUR LOUSY BUTT TO WORK! DO IT ALREADY!"

Her words puzzled Jack. What could she mean? Was she talking to her snake? He watched carefully for her next move, but Helvira fell silent as she continued to fight him, still trying to break past his guard. Fencing with Will and daily life had hardened Jack's muscles and made him even more wary of his opponent. He was stronger than he had been the last time he had fought her yet he still had not been able to fight her to a standstill, let alone win.

* * *

As the fighting had raged throughout the auction area, one man had kept to the alleys, determined to finish his meal. When his boss' voice screamed out, grating his ears, however, he knew he had best get to work. He took one last sip of what little remained of the slave's blood before tossing her to the pavement. Picking up one of the chains he'd broken off of her, Maxamillion, who had added the "million" part to his name after killing his millionth victim, strode purposefully from the alley. He kept the chain in one hand and his sword in the other. Avoiding every pesky blow that came his way and running his blade through the heart of each who ignorantly tried to fight him, he made his way to the auction block.

The auctioneer was at a lost as to what to do. He knew the auction must go on somehow, but he was not about to try to break up such a fight by himself. Even the other traders had delved into the battle, and he had been left alone to guard the last of the stock. Hearing approaching footsteps, the auctioneer turned to meet the oncomer, but when he saw the mountain of man who approached, he gulped. He glanced at the boy, looked back at the man, and took a sailing leap off into the crowd, choosing to take his chances therein instead of against such a monster.

Having seen the terrified look on the auctioneer's face, Will turned to face the direction he had looked in. Maxamillion's lips parted in a slow smile, his blood-stained teeth gleaming out at Will as he told him, "You're coming with me, boy."

"Not if I can help it." Will moved quickly, swinging the chains that bound his hands toward the man's head, but the man, who had sheathed his sword upon the auctioneer's fleeing, grabbed the chains smoothly. His grin grew more devilish as he yanked Will, sending him toppling face forward onto the block. Before Will could even try to move, Max whipped the chains he held against the boy's back. Will cried out as the chains ripped his shirt away and cut deep gashes into his back. Then, as swift as lightning, the man whipped his sword out and, standing over Will, swung downward. Will's cry turned into a roar of pain as the man cut through the backs of his legs, slicing off his hamstrings.

* * *

Jack's blood ran cold. Some one had hurt Will! He had to get to him! He kept fighting and backing as quickly as he could, desperately trying to reach him. As Will's roar of pain reached Jack's ears, Helvira threw the damn snake right into his face. Jack blindly grabbed at the snake, trying to get a hold of any part of it while still trying to fight with his sword against Helvira whose laughter rattled his ears.

Her laughter broke Jack's heart for he knew Will was dead and that her Maxamillion had killed him. The bitch was going down! He sliced the snake's head off with one deft blow and became like a madman, not caring if he was hit or not. He redoubled his efforts with his sword, making his advance so hot that Helvira fell backwards a few steps. Little did Jack know that when he sliced the head off of the snake, it had began flying around and around, its mouth and jaws working as it tried to bite everything in its path.

* * *

Xena's head jerked up at the pain-filled cry. It could only come from one person -- Will! Her heart leaped in her chest as she looked at where she had last seen him and saw that he was laying still on the auction block. Was he dead? She prayed that wasn't so. She reached for her chakram and was about to throw it when she almost stepped on some one whose mouth flew open. "Hey, Xena! Be a pal! Get me out of here!"

She started to glance down to see who was down there even though she recognized the voice when something flew by her head, making a smacking sound. It did not come back past her way, but she could see that it was a snake head. "Where the Hell did that come from!" she asked.

"I don't know," Autolycus told her, "but get me out of here before it gets me!" She kicked and dragged the dead body off of Autolycus just as the snake circled back around again. She took a swing at it but missed.

* * *

Brendan had looked up the instant Will had screamed. He was still looking up, trying to determine the quickest path to the auction block and if there was any way he could make it there despite the battling crowd all around, when his acute ears picked up the strangest sound. Turning his head to the right, Brendan let out a yelp as an all-too familiar head flew right at him. He instinctively slashed out with his sword; his blade sliced right through the middle of the snake's head. The two halves fell to the ground, and Brendan, though scared the wolf was about to come out at any time, jumped onto the halves, the heels of his boots stomping them into the pavement for extra measure.

* * *

Clark's heart had nearly stopped beating when the roar of pain had met his ears. Though his mind told him that it was Will, his heart screamed out for his beloved Lex. The fist that did not wield his sword shot out, avoiding the blow of his opponent's sword as his fist hit him full-force into the chest and sent the unexpecting man flying. "LEX!" Clark called, spinning on the heels of his boots as his eyes tore frantically around the crowd.

He spotted his love looking up at the auction block and completely failing to notice the sword that was mere heartbeats from slicing into his back. Fear and fury filled Clark at once for he knew there was no way he could make it to him in time. He barely had time to register the burning of his eyes before fire shot forward from them, burning the man to soot in less time than it took him to take a single, shocked gasp of air.

* * *

Lex had been desperately fighting his way to the auction block to reach Will when Will had been attacked. He had not meant to lose sight of Clark, and he heard him call his name just as fire came out of nowhere and burnt an attacker that he had not known of to mere soot. The man's sword clattered to the ground, and the fire continued to rain through the sky. Lex fell to the ground even as flames shot over his head.

He did not have a clue as to who was shooting the fire. He knew that if Cole had been lobbing energy balls, they would have been better controlled. Whoever was doing this was completely out of control as the flames hit not only people but tents, causing everything it hit to immediately catch on fire. He spotted Clark, and his mouth fell open. What the Hell was coming out of his lovers' eyes! _Flames_! Again barely dodging the fire, Lex ran for Clark, hoping to reach him before he had killed too many or, worse yet, one of their own.

* * *

Faith had been fighting two when a pain-filled roar from a familiar voice had met her ears. Her head had jerked up to look toward the auction block and Will, giving her enemies an opportunity. She did not yell out when one of their swords cut into her shoulder but instead stepped back, yanking her own shoulder out of the blade and swinging her sword through their chests. She sliced through the heart of one and continued her blow, passing through the heart of the second in the same swing, but never did she realize that a sword was about to meet her back.

Dawson saw the sword aimed straight for Faith and screamed out her name. Hearing him, Faith turned but found the sword right at her heart. Dawson had managed to come up behind Faith's attacker. He didn't know how to fight, but he had an ideal what to do. Holding the knife in his hand, he plunged it deeply into the back of her attacker and was rewarded with the blade landing in the heart and killing the man instantly. He fell to the ground, dead, laying between the two.

Dawson stood, looking at Faith. He saw that she was injured and was wondering if she would allow him to help her even when his butt was suddenly singed. He jumped straight for her, knocking her to the ground and landing on top of her. He was surprised when she grabbed him and pressed her lips to his.

As Faith's lips took Dawson's from beneath, she rolled him onto his back. The collision between his rear and the ground put out the flames even as her tongue plunged downwards into his mouth. His arms snuck around her. His tongue tried to dance with hers as his hands fondled her rear.

Faith did not try to pull away from his embrace but instead deepened their kiss. Her hands reached downwards, caressing the sides of his legs. She was just before sliding them between their bodies to his groin when she heard a voice from above. "Well, well, well. Couldn't wait to taste the merchandise, could you, girl?"

Faith's eyes rose up to see first a black high heel tapping up and down on her fallen sword, and then as her gaze traveled higher, the sneering face of Selene. "This is almost _too_ easy," the woman spoke even as she drew her sword.

* * *

Cole had managed to get free of fighting long enough to shimmer to where Will was. He was the first one to reach him, but the minute he materialized, a streak of flame headed straight for his face forced him to shimmer back out. Where were they coming from? he wondered even as he heard a scream from the auction block. Looking toward it, he saw Maxamillion, who had been scooped to pick up Will, engulfed in fire. He was dancing around, madly beating at the flames, when he exploded.

When Cole shimmered back, he was alone on the auction block with Will, and he knelt down beside him. He could not tell where he had been stabbed without turning him over, because there was so much blood pouring from the younger man's body. Then he realized that it was coming mostly from his legs. The skin was sliced off where the hamstrings should be, crippling Will should he survive. Could it be that he was not dead, only extremely injured?

My Gods! he thought. We must get him help immediately! Where's a Lewis when you need one? He was not really sure what to do to stop the bleeding, but a thought came to his mind. Must get Brendan. Where is he?

Cole did not want to leave Will, but he had no choice. He had to get Brendan. Zoning in on Brendan's scent, he shimmered to his side just in time to see him stomping something into the earth. "Brendan, you've got to get to Will; he'll bleed to death!" He laid his hand on his friend's arm and shimmered him to Will's side.

* * *

The explosion of Maxamillion drew Helvira's attention for one brief second, and Jack made good on his attack. He drove his sword home, straight through her heart. It was the same maneuver he had used the last time they had fought, but this time he sliced her open and severed her heart from her chest. He pulled off his coat, put the heart in it, and wrapped it up therein as though his coat was a bag. He was then finally able to run to Will's side where Brendan was already working on his friend.

The second Jack leapt onto the auction block, his eyes were met with Will. His lungs nearly stopped breathing and his heart beating as he saw how still Will's chest seemed to be and the blood that covered his body. Jack fell to the floor beside Will with tears running down his face. His trembling hands gently pulled Will's head into his lap. As Jack's body gently rocked Will's, the snow fell even harder. If Will died now, it would kill Jack, because he knew he did not want to live without his dearest friend . . . without the man he loved.

* * *

Xena had seen the attack on Faith and had come up behind Selene. Poking her in the back with her sword, Xena demanded, "Back off of her, bitch, and give her a chance to get to her feet or I'll cut you in two." She held her sword and made Selene back up. Then she flicked Faith's sword to her even as the girl rolled to her feet. Faith caught it easily, and Xena's gaze turned back to Selene. "The fight will be fair," she warned, glaring at Selene, "or you'll answer to me."

"What concern is it of yours?" Selene hissed at her. Though she had backed away as commanded, she had no intention of going through with the rest of this woman's orders. As if some little tramp could ever order _me_ around! she thought seethingly.

"She's one of mine," Xena growled back at her. "She's able to fight her own battles. That's why I'm giving her a chance at you instead of me just running you through."

Xena reached down and lifted Dawson up. "Come on, kid; get out of the way. There's woman's work to be done." She dragged Dawson out of the way and settled back to watch Faith in action. Xena saw Faith bleeding but knew it would not stop her and that the girl had to be allowed to fight her own battles as much as she was able.

Out of the corner of one eye, Faith glanced appreciatively at Xena and Dawson before returning her full attention to Selene. "I've been waiting for you ever since I saw you in the tents, bitch."

"What?" Selene asked coldly. "Don't tell me that you thought _I_ was for sale."

Selene's laughter died in her throat as Faith snapped, "In your dreams, bitch," and drove forward. Her blade was aimed to slice upwards between Selene's legs for the way she had treated Dawson, but Selene blocked her just in time.

The fight was swift and furious. The two women danced in a circle around each other, like a hawk and a snake, as they battled. Both took any opportunity they were given. Faith drew first blood, her sword taking a deep cut from Selene's hip, but Selene drew second, her sword biting into the wound in Faith's shoulder that another had created before her. Faith bit back the cry of pain that rose in her throat, and Selene smiled at the betraying emotion she saw flicker, for just a brief second, in the girl's dark eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked icily. "Did I hurt the little girl _pretending_ to be a woman?" Faith saw red at that comment, and before Selene even knew what had happened, she had slipped past her guard and dove her sword into her heart. Instead of falling or even crying out in pain, Selene smiled at her. "Nice try."

At that moment, Xena realized that this woman could not be killed in ordinary matters. She had to be an Immortal, and one of the sure-fire ways of dealing with them was to take their head. She knew Faith would not think of that and wondered how to tell her, but when she saw that Faith was so surprised that she had not yet taken her sword out of Selene's heart and Selene's blade was whistling through the air as it headed straight for Faith's throat, Xena whipped out her chakram, threw it at Selene, and cut her head off.

Selene fell to the earth, dead. Her head rolled to Faith's feet, and Faith kicked it for extra measure. Her kick sent the head flying against the wall next to Dawson where, upon impact, Selene's head burst open, blood, brains, and tissue exploding everywhere. Dawson screeched and ran from the wall. He thought he was going to be sick, and he had to fight to keep the bile down. He didn't think he could ever get used to fighting like this.

Reaching Faith, he wanted to hug her again but wasn't sure if she'd let him. Instead, he reached down, picked up her sword from where it had fallen out of Selene's heart when she had fell, and handed it back to her. Her fingers brushed his as she took it.

Xena, Dawson, and Faith quickly made their way to the auction block just in time to see Jack reach Will. The tears rushing down his face touched them deep in their hearts. Was Will dead, or could they save him?

* * *

Lex finally reached Clark, who seemed to have taken out the rest of the crowd. With a flying leap, Lex landed on his lover's back, knocking him to the ground beneath him. Ripping off his shirt, he covered Clark's eyes with it. "Clark, are you all right?" he asked worriedly. He did not let go of him.

"Lex?" Clark's breath shook as he answered, and Lex could feel his beloved trembling. "What . . . What just happened?"

Lex did not tell Clark how much damage he'd done. He just reassured him that most of them were all right and that he had not attacked any of his friends. "You took out some of the enemy, and you burnt down the tents." Knowing that this would not be enough to assure him for Clark undoubtedly knew he had killed in the process, Lex added gently, "And you saved my life again and stopped the evil man that was trying to take Will." Lex had gently rolled Clark over as he had been talking, and his breath brushed across Clark's lips as he told him, "You're my hero, Clark." Then he kissed him gently. "But just for good measure, keep my shirt on."

Clark did not speak again. He knew Lex was trying to keep him from concentrating on the full effect of what he had done, but nothing, not even the sweet nectar of his lover's lips as Lex kissed him, could keep him from knowing that he had killed. He had to fight to keep his body from visibly shaking at the thought. He had no intention of taking Lex's shirt off not only for fear of those horrid flames shooting forth again from his eyes but also because he did not want Lex to know that tears filled his eyes. They had too many other, more important matters to attend to.

Lex stood, pulling Clark to his feet. "We've got to get to Will. I don't know how bad he's hurt." His heart was as heavy as his beloved's as Lex served as Clark's eyes, guiding him through the fallen bodies to the auction block. Though he could not see his face, Lex still knew that Clark was crying but did not know how else to reassure him. For now they would have to concentrate on the other problems at hand, but once he got him alone, Lex would find a way to cheer up his beloved and take his mind off of what had happened.

Most of the group had reached Jack's side by the time Lex and Clark reached the auction block. Only Autolycus and Carl were missing. Autolycus was out in the sea of dead bodies, lifting whatever he could from their corpses, but Carl's voice met their ears. "HEY! SOMEBODY GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!" He was still on top of the only tent that had not been burnt.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Wolverine walked proudly beside Ororo. He would have liked to have reached out and taken her hand in his but didn't know how she would take it. After all, he was only a lowly Pirate while she was a beautiful Queen. She probably did not even want to be seen with him, but he found himself wishing his mates could see him now. He had seen a lot of women in his time, but she was the most beautiful by far.

He wondered how long it was to her house. He hoped it was not far. He knew they did not have a lot of time to get what she needed and back to the wagon. "How far is it to your house, Ororo?" he asked.

As they rounded a corner in the circle of houses, she indicated the one at the end with a nod of her head. It was only a small cottage, barely large enough for one, but its perimeter was surrounded in a wide assortment of flowers, each of which appeared lovelier than the last. A huge oak stood to one side of the house, its branches sweeping upwards in a seemingly desperate attempt to touch the heavens, and a weeping willow stood only a few feet in front of an open window that led to her bedroom.

He waited for her to open the door, glancing nervously around. He felt as though a vice grip was around his heart, squeezing ever more as the seconds ticked by. He hoped they were not surprised by any of the townspeople for he knew they had probably found the smoke and the bodies they had burned. He wanted to have her back into the safety of the wagon and back to the ship before that happened.

She could sense his tenseness and did not need to ask to know that it was due to the danger that was all around them. The sky was growing increasingly darker even as her hand slipped into her pocket. Surprise flickered over her face as she found her pocket empty, however, and she realized that her key must have fallen out in the ocean. Her voice was calm as she asked him, "Hum, do you happen to have a pick on you, Logan?"

Her question surprised Wolverine. "Why, little darlin'? Where's yer key?" he asked. "But no, I don't have a pick, nothin' but these," he said even as he popped a claw out and used it to open the lock. Once it was unlocked, he stepped back out of the way, knowing she was probably very well shocked seeing his claws but knowing that he could not hide it from her. His eyes sought hers, hoping not to see fear in them.

Her mouth had fallen open upon the sight of his claws, but she breathed a silent sigh of relief as she believed she had managed to regain her calm appearance before his attention turned back to her. Her blue eyes shimmered when he looked at her, but it was not from fear but rather concern. Stepping closer to him, she cupped his roughened hands in her gentle ones. "Does that not hurt?"

"It did once upon a time when they came out on me all o' a sudden. I wasn't born with them, but apparently they were in me the whole time. I hated them at first, but as I found more and more uses for them, I came to be happy I had them. They've saved lives many times, includin' my own." He reached out and opened the door for her, pushing it wide open. "We'd best hurry, little darlin'. There's a lot o' space between us an' the ship an' not much time."

"Of course," she answered, nodding even as she withdrew her hands from his. She swept through the doorway with a natural grace, calling back to him as she did so. "You may come in with me, and thank you, Logan." Remembering his earlier question, she finally answered it. "My key evidently fell out in the water."

He smiled at her even as he entered her house. "Thank you for inviting me in. When we get back with my mates, don't call me Logan. That's just for yer ears. They call me Wolverine; they don't know my real name."

She listened to him even as she led the way through the front room and a short hallway. "Do you normally make a habit of keeping such secrets from your friends?" she asked curiously. She opened a door and walked into her bedroom.

"You are the only one who knows my name. I don't tell others, 'cause when they know your name, they have power over you. I told you. I'm really not sure why, but I trust you."

Glancing over at him, she graced him with a reassuring smile. "Your secret is safe with me. We all have things we wish others not to know, and I promise I will not tell a soul."

Moving to her bed, she knelt before a small trunk at the end of it and opened it. She then moved to her closet where upon she pulled out only three of the outfits held therein. Moving back to the trunk, she dropped them in before walking over to her dresser. It held several drawers, but she only pulled out one. She took that one out, carried it over to the trunk, and dropped its few contents into it. Placing it on her bed, she turned and, without hesitation, selected two of the books from her top shelf.

"You can take more o' those books if you want to, 'Ro. I can carry that trunk with very little problem, an' even if you decide you don't want the books, the crew will just about die to get 'em. We have a definite shortage of books, an' believe it or not, there are those of us who actually read, including the Captain."

"Very well then." She stepped back from the bookcase and held her hands up. The wind in the room suddenly picked up as it circled around her, swept the books off of the bookcase, and dropped them into the trunk. As her hands dropped, so did the wind.

Wolverine knew that it would take him quite a while to get used to the little things that she could do. He thought that being able to use the wind like that was an amazing, useful trick. He hoped she never got mad at him, because he would hate for the wind to get him the way that it had gotten the books. He knew he'd never get away from it. "Is this all, little darlin'?" he asked.

"Almost," she told him. Walking back to her dresser, she lifted the lid of what appeared to be a music box. It was, however, a hidden compartment that sank into the first drawer, which was without a knob or any other way to open it and appeared to be merely there for decoration. Reaching into the compartment, she drew out two sheathed knives and a small, black case. Setting them onto the dresser, she opened a second music box. This was actually a small box, just as it appeared to be, and she pulled out a pair of earrings that had been crafted into lightning bolts. Adding that to the trunk, she stepped over to the left wall, which was completely bare.

He watched as she collected her knives and then stepped over to the wall, wondering what she was going to do with it. The knives had surprised him, because he had not thought she had any real weapons beside her powers. Why would she need them, he wondered, and did she know how to use them? Again, hopefully, not upon himself.

Ororo reached out and placed a clawed hand onto what appeared to be just another brick. Blue flashes raced from her fingertips as lightning sank into the brick, which she had long ago cast a spell upon. She stepped quickly to one side as the brick shot out. Stepping back in front of the hole where the brick had been, she withdrew a locket from within.

He tried not to show his surprise. Everything about this woman seemed to be one long chain of surprises. "Are we ready now?" he asked.

Tightly grasping the locket in her hand, she walked back to the trunk and slid it into a secret compartment. Shutting the trunk, she fastened the latch. She moved slightly closer to the bed as she slid a key out from underneath her mattress. After locking the trunk, she pocketed the key and stood. She gestured at the trunk, and winds lifted it from the floor. Looking back to Logan, she nodded.

"If ya have any food or other supplies, ya might want to bring them. The ship hasn't been stocked, and I'm afraid it won't be stocked before we leave. It's a long ways to Tortuga, an' there are no stops in between. We'll be eating a lot o' fish, so anything you have will be good."

She thought for a moment before answering. "I have no food inside, but there are a few fruit-baring trees out back."

Wolverine grinned at her. "I haven't clumb a tree in a long time. Sounds like fun. Get us something to put 'em in?"

She nodded in response and then led the way to the kitchen. The single cupboard that stood in the room was just as bare as she had indicated, but there were gunny sacks piled on top of it. With a wave of her hands, breezes again lifted, this time carrying the sacks down to them.

He grabbed an armload, planning to fill each of them. The crew would be happy to get them; fresh fruit would sure beat the heck out of hard tack and weevil flour biscuits that they'd probably encounter before they reached Tortuga. He grimaced at the thought of the biscuits.

Gathering the remaining bags to her, Ororo walked around the table before opening the door. Stepping out, she moved to one side so that Logan could follow.

Logan stepped out into the sunshine, and his mind was instantly boggled at the sight he was met with. She had said a few trees and he had expected one or two, but the garden was full of fruit-baring trees and bushes. He could not believe the vast array of fruits and wondered if she might have some vegetables, as well. "Do you have any vegetables growin'?" he asked.

"Potatoes," she answered, her eyes looking up at the trees. Although she had ended up staying for nearly half her life, she had never meant to stay here for long. She had planted the trees solely to help the community, but she would dearly miss the grove.

Logan set about collecting apples, oranges, peaches, and pears and loaded the bags without a single thought as to how he would get them to the ship. He was amazed at the booty and knew that, although the Captain personally did not eat fruit, he would still be proud to see them. Logan then dug up potatoes and filled another two bags. All in all, he had ten bags collected in a blink of an eye before looking around for some kind of conveyance. "'Ro, darlin', you got a wheelbarrow?"

"Of course," she replied. She had been working alongside him the entire time and had collected the same amount of bags. "I shall return in just a moment," she added, walking off in the direction of her gardening shed.

He did not wait but followed her and spied the wheelbarrow as soon as she opened the door. Stepping forward, he grabbed it before she could and headed back to where the bags were waiting. He loaded the potatoes first and then the pears and apples on the bottom. Then he added the oranges and put the peaches on top. It was quite a load, but it had one more thing to add. He was turning to head into the house when he saw her returning with the trunk. Placing it on the side of the wheelbarrow, where it would not crush the peaches, he lifted the handles and began to head back in the direction where he knew the wagon would be waiting.

* * *

Logan and Ororo were on their way to the wagon when they heard Wesley excitedly marveling at all the sights and things he was finding in Fred's house. He sat the barrow down. "Maybe we'd better check on them? At the rate he's goin', they could be all day. Wesley?" he called out.

Ororo smiled gently. "He sounds as though he is amazed, but given Winifred's laboratory, I can not say that I am surprised."

"I thought she was a Witch? What is she?" he asked.

"There are many kinds of Witches, Logan. Some of us have gifts from the Gods in the forms of powers but not all. Winifred does follow the path, but she is more of a scientist at heart."

Scientist was a new word to Wolverine. He did not have a clue as to what it was. "What's a scientist?" he asked.

"Well, there are various types, but Winifred uses her knowledge and tools to try to find answers as to why certain things are the way they are and, mostly, for cures."

"You mean like a doctor? Brendan Richards is our ship doctor. He's a very good one, but I've never seen him do any scientific stuff."

"Somewhat . . . " Ororo began to answer but stopped as Fred poked her face through the door.

"Ororo! There you are! Ah was hopin' ya'd come by! Honestly, Ah wasn't plannin' on bringin' everythin', but Wesley -- He's just -- " She shook her head, at a loss for words, and finally admitted, "Ah just don't know what ta do with him! Ah ain't evah seen any one go after mah beakers in such a manner!"

Wolverine looked at her with one eyebrow raised. He had heard them called many things but never beakers. "You say Wesley's after your beakers? We thought the boy . . . " His voice trailed off. Would wonders never cease?

Winifred nodded in all seriousness. "Mah beakers an' mah test tubes an' -- an' -- "

Ororo placed a gentle hand on Logan's forearm and faced Fred with a gentle smile. "It is perfectly all right, Winifred. He probably simply has never seen such an array of _tools_," she emphasized the word in hopes that Logan might understand.

Wolverine was grinning from ear to ear. The boy was not hopeless, after all! "Better not go in there, 'Ro, not till he gets through. First time, you know."

"Oh mah -- !" Fred's mouth flew open, a deep crimson staining her cheeks.

"Lo -- Wolverine," Ororo gently chided, her own cheeks appearing darker as well, "that is not it at all!" Releasing his arm, she started forward.

Meanwhile, Wesley was inside, ignoring everything being said and busily packing test tubes, beakers, other equipment, and books. Outside, Wolverine followed reluctantly behind 'Ro. "If you say so, ma'am, but it sure sounded fer all the world like he was very busy, an' if I do say so myself, it's well past time."

Despite the day's events and her unwillingness to embarrass Logan or Fred any further, Ororo could not help herself as her lips parted in a gentle tinkling of laughter. She met Winifred at the door. "Honestly, Ororo, Ah just don't know what ta do! Ah don't even have enough crates!"

Ororo placed a reassuring hand on Winifred's shoulder and faced her younger friend's frantic nervousness with a reassuring smile. "We will find a way to handle the situation, Winifred. Besides, you should not have to leave any of that behind. You never know when such might be needed, and your equipment is more important to you than food." Fred started to speak, but Ororo shook her head. "Do not try to deny it, child, for I know you and know that that is true."

At the mention of food, Logan asked, "Miss Fred, do you have any food in the house? If so, ya might want to bring it. The ship's low in supplies." Women were certainly strange creatures, and he wasn't exactly sure how to handle either of these two. He just knew that wherever 'Ro went, he was going, and that he liked both of them a lot. "Give me a minute, an' I'll get Wesley outta there," he said as he walked into the room. Not paying attention to what Wesley had in his hand, he patted him on the back. "Good goin', buddy."

"I know!" Wesley exclaimed, grinning like a kid in a candy shop. "I simply can not believe this! Look, Wolverine! She has so much!"

"They both do, my friend," Wolverine agreed with a grin, "an' aren't we the lucky ones?"

Wesley looked up at him in confusion, a bag in one hand and a beaker in the other. "Ororo's a scientist, too?" he asked in disbelief. "I thought they were Witches, not scientists!"

"No. 'Ro's a Weather Witch and a gardener. You oughta see the booty I got -- fresh fruits and potatoes!" he almost whispered the latter. He dearly loved potatoes.

"That's all fine and dandy, I suppose, but just look around you, Wolverine! So many books, and such equipment! My Gods, a man could die happy here!"

"Oh, you can say that again," Logan breathed softly. "I've just gotta get in 'Ro's garden one more time."

Wesley looked questioningly back at his friend. "You left something?" he asked.

"No, matey. I found something."

"Well then, why didn't you already get it?"

"It takes time, my friend; it takes time. Now let's get this stuff packed up an' headed fer the wagon." Four pairs of hands made the work short and easy, and they had soon finished the task.

The men had been so busily at work that the women had stood to one side. Winifred was still shaking her head in amazement as she could not figure out how they had managed to get everything packed, let alone so quickly. "Mistah Logan," she spoke up quietly, "'bout that food. Ah've got some vegetables Ah was workin' with if that'll help."

"Sure will. Get 'em, and I'll add them to my barrow. How're we gonna carry this stuff? Do you have a wagon or a wheelbarrow?"

Winifred shook her head. "No. Ah tried ta tell Wesley, but he just wouldn't listen."

"That's all right," Ororo was quick to reassure both Fred and Logan. "I can transport them."

"They won't fit on the wheelbarrow, 'Ro. I could take these to the wagon an' return."

"I can carry them on the wind, Wolverine."

"Okay . . . " he said disbelievingly. He would wait and see, however, because he had seen the wind do some mighty strange things at her instruction already. If she said she could do it, he believed her. "But we'd better get a move on."

Ororo nodded as she turned her attention back to Winifred. "Where are you keeping the vegetables?"

"In the kitchen," Fred nodded to one of the two rooms that adjoined the one they were in. "What's left o' 'em any way. Ah had more, but mah plans just weren't workin' out. Ah didn't think it'd be so hard to combine carrots and potatoes."

"Euuw," Wolverine said. "Carrots? Yuck! Those things'll rot your teeth out! Now potatoes, that's a vegetable that'll fill your stomach!"

"They can both be quite filling," Wesley informed him, "and are both good for your health."

"Thank you, Doctor Wesley, but if I've got any part o' carrots, I'll give 'em to you."

Winifred looked up at Wesley, her eyes shining. "You're a _doctor_?" she asked in amazement.

Wesley smiled at her, his chest puffing out in pride. "I am a scientist like yourself, madam."

"Doctor Doom, ma'am. He forecasts comin' things by readin' it on paper. He's usually right," Logan said, "but it's usually not stuff we really wanna know till it happens. A very smart man," he said, tapping his forehead.

Winifred beamed at Wesley. "Oh, _wow_! Shucks, Ah bet we could come up with some wonderful stuff together!" she exclaimed, never realizing how that sounded.

"I bet you two could," Logan agreed as he headed outside. He had had about all he could handle of Wesley and Fred. He had already gotten heated up watching 'Ro in the garden, just being near her and not being able to do anything about it, and now these two were all but doing it in front of him. If this kept up, he'd soon be hunting some of that water the Captain liked to use so much of. "Hurry up," he called out. "We've gotta get going!" He glanced ominously at the darkening sky, his need for haste quickening his step.

* * *

"I shall fetch the vegetables," Ororo spoke, "but Winifred, you need to fetch at least one change of clothes."

"Clothes?" Fred repeated, then blushed. "Ah hadn't even thought o' that!"

Ororo smiled but did not say that she had thought as much. Instead, she turned and walked into the kitchen.

Wesley began toting the boxes out of the door, and Logan took them from him and sat them neatly on the ground in a row. They soon had the room cleaned out and glanced expectantly at the door, waiting for the women to emerge. They had barely began to wait, however, when Wesley glanced back down at the crates. "What did she mean when she said she'd have the wind carry them?" he asked Logan uneasily.

Wolverine said proudly, "'Ro is a Weather Witch, an' as such, she can get the wind to do stuff. A while ago, in the garden, she told it to lift her. It picked her up like she was a feather an' carried her up to one of the highest branches so that she could get some apples down! Surprised me so much I almost fell out! I didn't say anythin' 'bout it. She had that wind haulin' an' totin' fer her like it was some kind o' fancy dandy wantin' attention. I can't wait to see how she gets it to tote these boxes!"

Wesley shook his head slowly from side to side in amazement even as his eyes returned to the door. "This day is just full of one surprise after another."

"You can say that again! What were you an' Miss Fred handlin' inside that took you so long before we got here? Looked like you had just barely began to pack."

"We had," Wesley admitted, "but I couldn't help myself, Wolverine! Her equipment is just so amazing! I haven't seen that much stuff in one place since London!"

He looked at him in surprise. "You actually saw equipment like hers in London? Well, it's true. They do come with the basic equipment, some bigger than others."

"Not the size so much as the sheer amount," Wesley amended.

"And you had to discuss that?" Logan asked incredulously. "Well, it probably made for an interesting conversation. Yer've talked more today than ya usually talk in a whole week. It seems she brings out the best in you. What do you make o' all this snow?"

"I wasn't sure what to make of it at first," Wesley admitted. "I didn't have my scrolls or equipment available, after all, but Winifred has been researching it for a while now. She says a great force of evil is coming to obliterate the town, Wolverine, and I believe her. That's one of the things we talked about in there. She showed me all her data, and I must say that it is _astounding_! Her _mind_ is astounding! I just can't believe it! Having another scientist around, especially one of her intellect and beauty -- ! I just -- !"

"Well, ya better lay kinda heavily on the beauty part o' it, my friend. Ya know we're goin' to the ship. There a lot o' single, unattached men lookin' fer women on that ship, an' they ain't had time to get one in port. Ya better put yer mark on her or they'll be tryin' to move in on uncharted waters."

"She doesn't deserve to have to tolerate that!" Wesley exclaimed heatedly despite himself. "If -- If they touch her and she does not wish to be bothered by them, I'll -- I'll cut their hand off!"

"Wesley, just mark her. I've been thinkin' 'bout it, an' I don't know how to mark 'Ro until we get the other men alone, either, 'cept to growl if they get too close, but I plan to tell 'em she's mine an' they better not lay a paw on her. I advise you to do the same. They're basically good men, but they're horny bastards an' we do have two beautiful women. Just don't let the women know. They won't like us thinkin' that we own them."

"We do not own them, Wolverine!" Wesley sharply objected. "We should be so lucky as to have _them_ own _us_! And I shall not lay an unworthy claim upon Winifred, but I will tell them what will become of them should they bother her!"

"Well, you do it your way, an' I'll do it my way just as long as they know. I'd hate to have to kill one o' em fer layin' one of their grubby mitts on my 'Ro."

Wesley nodded understandingly and opened his mouth to speak. His words were forgotten and his mouth left opened, however, as Winifred, followed by Ororo, stepped out. Winifred carried a single trunk, but what amazed Wesley were the bags that floated in the air behind Ororo. Recovering himself, he rushed forward just in time to meet Fred at the base of the steps and took the trunk from her. Meanwhile, Ororo fastened her attention on the cases. Her left hand gestured to them to lift, and breezes lifted the cases into the air.

Carrying the trunk, Wesley headed off in the direction of the wagon followed by the ladies and the cases and bags that floated in the air. The rear was brought up by Wolverine who kept sniffing the air as though something was about to hit them as he pushed the wheelbarrow.

It did not take them long to reach the spot where the wagon had been but was no longer. Wolverine sat the wheelbarrow down. If there had been tracks, the snow on the ground had now covered them, and he had to use his nose to locate the direction in which the wagon had been driven. "They went that way," he said and pointed in the direction of the Halliwells'. It did not take long to cover the space between where they were and the wagon, and he could see that it was being filled with barrels of what he hoped was food. He was about to unload his wheelbarrow when they were approached by one of the women from the house.

Hearing snow crunching under approaching footsteps, Ororo turned to look in its direction and was surprised to see Paige rushing to them. Her face was paled with fear, and Ororo knew instinctively that it was not just what they had been through that day and losing her mother and grandmother that now had her so afraid. She quickly gestured her hands in silent commandments to the wind, sending the cases and bags sweeping by Logan as they appeared to load themselves into the wagon. As soon as that was taken care of, Ororo rushed forward to meet Paige. Clasping the youngest Halliwell's shoulders, she stilled her even as she asked in deep concern, "Paige, child, what's wrong?"

"Prue!" Paige exclaimed, her voice trembling as she was on the verge of tears. "Prue and Joxer are locked in the room!"

Ororo did not have to ask which room nor even how they had gotten locked in there. "Goddess," she spoke with a quick intake of breath.

* * *

Seeing that 'Ro was taking care of the girl, Logan had quickly loaded what he had been carrying and added the wheelbarrow. He didn't know if they'd have a use for it aboard the ship or not, but he was not one to throw away anything. He then walked over to stand beside 'Ro as the girl said "the room", making it sound as though it was the voice of doom. Ororo's fearful reaction only added to his concern. "What room?" he asked.

Ororo quickly explained. "The Halliwells have a very special item that they keep in their mother's and grandmother's room. The room has a spell on it so that it traps any one who enters it but is not of their blood. Only Patty and Penelope knew how -- "

She was interrupted by Paige. "No! Don't tell me you don't know how to get them out!" Tears welled in her eyes. "I can't lose Prue, too! I _can't_!"

"Easy, child," Ororo gently spoke to her. She wrapped her arms around Paige and held the young woman reassuringly even as she looked, unshed tears sparkling in her own eyes, to Logan for help.

"Show me the room?" Logan asked.

Ororo nodded before turning her attention back to Paige for a moment. "Paige, dear . . . " she started but could feel Paige's tears wetting her shirt.

Ororo had not known when Winifred had came up, but Fred now reached out and gently touched Paige's shoulder. "Paige, come here, sweetie," Fred started but had barely gotten the words out when the girl turned into her embrace. The women's eyes met, and Ororo knew that Winifred would handle the situation and felt confidant in her ability to do so. Without another word, she turned and headed directly into the house.

She did not stop until she stood in front of the room that held Prue and Joxer trapped. "They are behind there," she said, nodding to the door, "but we can not hear them nor can they hear us. The door can not be attacked, either."

Wolverine walked up to the door. He sniffed at it. It was giving off some kind of a high-pitched sound that only his alert ears could pick up, and he knew better than to reach out and touch it. "I'll be back," he said and raced outside.

Walking slowly outside the front door, Wolverine began to make his way around the house. He held his hands out toward the house, sensing the vibrations that it was giving off. He was not surprised that the others could not hear it. He went all the way around the house, sensing that the vibration ebbed and flowed in some places and searching for the weak area. Everything had a weak area. He knew that from experience. He reached out, tentatively touched the house, and was not shocked.

He finally found the spot. It was the only spot that the vibration was not coming from. Flicking out a claw, he stuck it in. He was surprised that he was still not shocked. He began to drag his claw down, cutting a door into the room. He tried to rip quickly at first, but it sealed itself. As he slowly cut down, however, he noticed that it stayed open only for a few minutes longer than it had when he had ripped it.

He had to find something to stick in it and hold it open. He found some logs that had been cut for firewood and carried several of them back. As he tore gently through the wall, he slipped a log in. He knew that it would have to be a quick maneuver and that the house would seal itself again quickly. He could hear the people inside now. "Be ready," he called and was answered by a shriek from Joxer which he ignored. "It will only last a few seconds an' yer'll have to get out, so if there's anythin' in that room that you want, ya'd better grab it and be ready when it opens."

Prue glared angrily at Joxer. "Don't even move!" she said angrily with a finger pointed at him. She flipped the rug back and pulled open a secret chamber in the floor. Reaching inside, she pulled the Book out. It was wrapped in a black, silk cloth, but she knew what it was and did not pull the cloth off. Walking over to the hole that was slowly appearing in the wall, she turned back to Joxer. "Get over here now!" she said, pointing to the floor just in front of her. "You heard him say that it was going to be quick!"

"But -- But -- But the wall's talking!"

"_Fool!_" she said. "Get here _now_!" Prue had a lot of patience, but she had very little with this man. He had jerked her last nerve.

"No way!" Joxer exclaimed, shaking his head. "I'm not going anywhere near a talking wall, especially not one that sounds like an angry Wolverine!"

Prue got in front of Joxer and started poking him on the chest. She backed him up and had him at the wall just in the time that Wolverine hollered, "NOW!" She poked him again, and his feet tripped her, causing her to fall into his chest and knock them both out of the hole that Wolverine had made. Logs, Book, Joxer, and Prue fell out even as the hole sealed itself again immediately. She took deep gulps of the fresh air even as she looked at Wolverine. "Thank you very much! Please do something with _this_!" she said as she pushed Joxer to him.

"Joxer," Wolverine growled at him. "Talking walls, are they? I have _never_ met a bigger idiot! Just wait until I tell Gabrielle what a fool you've been! Get in the wagon, sit there until we get there, an' don't touch _anything_!"

* * *

Prue had already ran around to the front of the house. Upon entering the house, she was met by both Paige and Phoebe, hugging and screaming so loudly that their voices made Piper come out of the kitchen. "Prue, thank Gods!" she exclaimed, rushing forward and joining in the group hug.

"That _idiot_!" Prue seethed. "I gave him to that short man out there; I hope he eats him! Now we must get out of here and hurry! Have you got everything?"

Lorne had followed Piper out of the kitchen and was very relieved to see that Prue had been released. "The short man's name is Wolverine," he said, "and he is a very good man to have around." His arms were loaded down with bags, and he hurried out to the wagon. It took him several trips to get all of the bags into the wagon. Phoebe had two bags full of clothes and a few romance novels that no one knew she had, and she ran for the wagon.

"I think we almost are," Piper told Prue. She noticed Ororo slipping out behind her sister but did not call to their godmother. She knew she was being hit as hard as the rest of them, if not more so, and needed some time to herself. "Oh," she added excitedly, "and guess who Lorne found!"

"Who?" Prue exclaimed. At her exclamation, a meow was heard. "Kit!" She scooped the cat up. "I guess we're ready now," she said with a smile and headed out to the wagon.

Piper followed her sister, still talking. "You wouldn't believe the time I had with Phoebe and Paige! They wouldn't believe me for anything when I told them that Lorne was good, but at least they believed Kit!"

Prue didn't ask; she knew that if Lorne had truly been evil, Kit would have attacked him. As the cat indicated it wanted down, she released it into the wagon and it headed straight for Lorne's lap; she knew it had not attacked him.

Lorne looked over at Gonk. "Nice doggy. Stop looking at the cat like that. You'd better be friends. Come; sit down." Gonk, who was very tired of being ignored except to be scolded every time he happened to glance Meesy's way, crawled over beside Lorne and laid down by his leg, trying his best to ignore the cat. Too many cats here, he thought with a glance at the two catwomen who were still sleeping and the catman who sat beside one of them.

* * *

Logan had followed Ororo when she had walked out of the Halliwells' house. He knew she was upset. He finally caught up to her, but her back remained to him. "'Ro," he asked, his deep voice full of concern, "are you okay, little darlin'?"

His voice stopped her in her tracks, but she did not turn back around to face him. Her arms were folded before her. Her hands rubbed her arms as though to warm her although she was not cold. Her head was tilted to look up at the sky that grew ever darker, and tears shimmered in her sad, blue eyes. "I am all right, Logan," she answered him, her voice even quieter than usual. "I just . . . " How could she tell him how much coming so close to losing Prue on top of everybody else who had died that day had scared her? She could not, so she said instead, "Thank you."

"Any time, little darlin'," he reassured her. "Nothin's ever gonna happen again to those you love; ol' Logan won't let it." He scooped her up in a bearhug before she knew what was happening. "What a woman! You can even summon the wind with a twist of your little hand! Ol' Logan's very lucky to have you as a friend! Now you want to tell me what's goin' on in yer mind?"

She sighed. He thought she was wonderful. His every word, his every action, told her that, but only she knew just how dreadfully wrong he was. She remained in his arms, thankful for the comforting embrace that she did not deserve, but her tears continued to shimmer, coming ever closer to falling as she thought over the day's events.

"I can not help thinking about them, Logan," she answered quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as though she was afraid to make the admission aloud. "And Prue . . . The thought of losing her too scared me. The Halliwells are my godchildren. I've already taken their mother and grandmother from them," she did not realize the words as she opened up for the first time, a single tear slipping from her eyes and dropping down onto his shoulder. "I could not bear the thought of losing her, too, let alone of causing them even more pain."

"What makes you think that you took their mother, 'Ro, let alone their grandmother? Did ya think that you could stand alone against the townspeople, protectin' all those weaker than yerself? You're not to blame, so stop takin' the blame of the world on your sweet shoulders. You haven't failed the girls. I just met you today, and I know that you never just give up. You fight against the Fates. You can't tell me it was your ideal to walk into the water, but why you followed 'em, I don't understand that." He waited for her words, knowing only that by talking it out would she be able to cope with it.

"That is just it, Logan. Perhaps it was not my ideal, but I nonetheless supported it." She sighed again as she admitted something to him that she had never even told Patty, who had been the best friend she had ever had. "When I first came here, I never meant to stay, but Patty and I became fast friends. She would have listened to me had I stood against the ideal of sacrificing ourselves to do what we could to save the others." Thunder rumbled in the sky above their heads as she stepped out of his embrace. "What you have seen me do today is only a small fraction of what I am capable of doing, Logan. I could have done so much more! I could have stood against the townspeople, and yes, I could have taken them."

"Yeah, an' a lot more people would've died. The girls would've died, because they would've stood by you. They would've caught a lot o' the townspeople's anger. I don't know whose ideal it was to drown peacefully," he spat that word out angrily, "but I understand the reason behind it. Patty would want you to take care o' her girls. They need you." He almost added, 'I need you', but kept that little bit of information to himself. "Time will help to heal the wounds, 'Ro. You're gentle with others. Be gentle with yerself. Give yourself a chance away from here. Jack will take you somewhere safe. He keeps all his people safe. Give me a chance to help you with the girls." There, he'd said it. He'd almost put his foot into it up to his neck as to letting her know his feelings for her. Now he was expecting a let down.

"Goddess knows I . . . _they_ can use all the help they can get, Logan, but I do not know if anything will ever be enough. It . . . " She turned from him, not wanting him to see her increased tears. "It almost killed me when I lost my parents, and I was so little at the time that I barely even remember them. They already lost their father. That was painful enough, and now to lose their mother and grandmother at the same time . . . "

She shook her head even as tears that she had kept pent up for years began to spill down her cheeks. "I should have done something, _anything_, but when it mattered the most, out of the millions of things I could have done, I did nothing! I let them die, Logan, not just Patty or Penny but _all_ of them! You say that I should be gentle on myself," her voice shook as thunder bellowed and rain began to fall, mixing with the snow and becoming sleet before it hit the ground, "but how can I when I am as much to blame as those . . . as those . . . " She struggled to find the right word, but she had never cussed and could not think of a word fit of describing one who would take another's life in the name of a religion that they did not even hold by.

"You're wrong, 'Ro. You're not to blame. You thought you were doing what was best fer all concerned, an' most importantly, you weren't their leader. From what I understand, Patty an' Penny were. If there's any blame, it rests with them. You didn't kill your parents, so stop blaming yourself for that. The girls will need you. Ya have to pull yourself together. They're young, head-strong, an' probably pretty foolish as most of the young are. They'll need you fer guidance an' fer love. You have to be strong for them an' yerself." Logan hoped what he was telling her would help. He knew he was not very good with words. All he could speak was what he was feeling. He hoped it would be enough. He reached out and attempted to pull 'Ro into his arms again. "They will not blame you. I don't blame you. So you must stop blaming yourself."

She did not tell him that she did not know if she was even capable of giving the girls the love they needed or, for that matter, any one, but she did let him pull her back into his arms. His arms were strong and felt so comforting and right around her, almost as if they had been waiting for her her entire life, but she knew that that was a thought of pure absurdity.

He was relieved that she had not pushed him away. He vowed that he would get a bath as soon as they got back to the ship. He imagined that he must be smelling something fierce and didn't know how she could tolerate him yet she allowed him to hold her gently. "I'll be there for you, 'Ro, any time you want me to be. I don't know if I'm any good at takin' care o' girls, but I'll do what I can. Right now I think we'd better get to the wagon before they leave without us." He broke off the hug and, taking her by the hand, led her toward the wagon.

As they reached it, he put her in first and then climbed in beside her, pulling her back into a hug. "It won't take long, but it'll be a little while that you can rest." He looked around and noticed that the others had all settled. He hoped it would be an uneventful, quick trip to the ship.

The others huddled together, hoping that the rain would not get worse. They thought it was part of the snow storm that had been going on most of the day. Prue looked at Ororo with a question in her eyes. Could she have been responsible for the rain?

Ororo caught Prue's questioning look as she laid her head on Logan's shoulder. Knowing that a storm would only make it harder to reach the ship, she closed her eyes and fought to rein in her emotions. As she regained control again, the wind, lightning, and sleet vanished, but the snow continued to fall.

Prue had watched Ororo and had seen the declination in the weather. She knew she had been right, but though she nodded to herself, she didn't say anything and turned her attention back to her sisters instead.

Meanwhile, Tom and Morph had transformed back into dragons. They had been waiting for Logan and Ororo, who were the last to get on, and as soon as they had gotten on, they almost flew to the ship. The wagon was jam-packed with people and belongings, but although it was crowded, it was almost comfortable as old and new friends huddled together. What would have taken them hours to reach the ship took them only about fifteen minutes. Passing quickly through the town, they noticed that part of it was on fire but did not stop to investigate, knowing that they had to get to the ship and get ready to leave.

As they rode swiftly through the town, Gabrielle tensed, her hands itching for her sais as she fully expected trouble. The shapeshifters could feel her tenseness through the reins, but as Tom's telepathic voice met her mind, she relaxed just a little. It's all right, he told her. They don't see us for us. They see Morph and me as horses, not dragons. They think you're just a fat, old man, he added teasingly, and the others are just luggage. Reaching the ship, they began swiftly unloading and preparing the ships for departure.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

Tears continued to run down Jack's face as he held tightly to Will as though that would save him. He was locked in his own world, and only Will and he existed there.

Knowing that Jack was completely out of it, Xena took command. Looking at Cole, she said, "Shimmer and take Will to Jack's cabin. Return and get Brendan. Then return for Jack. Once you have them all there, look for the Lewis sisters and get them in there to help Brendan."

Cole reached out to take Will only to be met with Jack's blade. Xena reached out and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "It's just Cole, Jack," she spoke soothingly to him. "He's not going to hurt Will; he's going to take him to your cabin."

Locked in his own world of misery, Jack did not respond to Xena at first. She thought she just might have to knock him out and was getting prepared to do just that when she saw Brendan reach out and touch Jack. "Easy, Jack," Brendan told him in a smooth, gentle voice, speaking to him as though he was the patient instead of Will. "You want Will to be okay -- we all do --, but that can't happen here. We have to go to the ship so that I can get my supplies and work on him. It's his only chance."

Jack shook his head and clutched at Will even more tightly. It was as though the man had lost his fragile grip on sanity as he was blocking out his friends' voices. Xena squatted, reached out, and brought Jack's face up to look directly into hers. "_Let go_ so that he can be taken and helped. You want to kill him?"

"No," Jack spoke at last, "but I don't want to lose him either. If I let go of him, he's going to die. As long as I hold on to him, he's not going anywhere."

Xena could see the reasoning behind Jack's thinking that his touch was keeping Will alive, but she also knew that Brendan had to reach his tools. She didn't know anything else to do, so she hauled off and knocked the fire out of Jack. Her punch stunned him so that he let go of Will for a brief second, just long enough for Cole to grab Will and shimmer. Jack got to his feet, turned, and knocked Xena. Her head snapped back from the blow, and she had to remind herself that Jack was not completely himself as her hand itched for her sword.

"If Will dies . . . " Jack left his threat hanging in the air even as Cole returned. Jack, feeling the shimmer, turned to leer angrily at him. Cole looked at him, snatched Brendan, and shimmered out, leaving Jack's fist to meet with empty air.

* * *

Cole had not even taken enough time when he had shimmered Will to Jack's cabin to notice who was in the room. He had simply laid Will on the bed and returned for Brendan. Now on his second trip to the cabin, he heard screams so loud that they echoed in his ears. When he shimmered in to release Brendan, two women were staring at him with their mouths wide open in screams.

Angel came seconds later, crashing into the door rather than taking the time to open it as he believed the women were in danger. Seeing what was going on, he told the women, "Be quiet, please, and come with me!" He did not know what was wrong with Will, but he knew that he was in pretty bad shape for the blood he could smell on him.

Cordelia looked at Angel in shock, her scream dieing in her still-open mouth. Had he just _ordered_ her, and _what_ was with that _tone_? Why would he bark at her so soon after kissing her, and just _where_ had he been hiding any way? Before she could say anything, she heard Elizabeth gasp beside her for the sight before them had finally sank into the blonde's mind. "Will! What -- What happened!"

Cordelia's hazel eyes followed the other girl's attention to the body that lay on the bed, and her heart nearly stopped beating. Oh Gods, was he -- was he dead? He certainly looked it! She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and concentrate, but found that she could only continue to stare at the man who must be Will Turner. She had never seen some one drenched with so much blood.

Angel reached out and touched Cordelia's hand. "Please come with me. They have to have room to work on him. He's not dead, just hurt really bad. Elizabeth?" He looked at her to see if she heard him. "Now?"

Angel's voice and gentle touch had broken through to Cordelia. Looking back at him, she nodded and stepped forward to follow him. Elizabeth, however, continued to stare at Will, horror filling her blue eyes. "What . . . What happened?"

"It's a long story," Brendan replied, ripping Will's shirt open so that he could better assess the damage done to his back. His eyes never lifted to the others as he added, "Miss Swann, you may return shortly, but for now, please, for Will's sake . . . "

"Y-Yes . . . " Elizabeth whispered, her voice barely audible. Still, she stood in the same spot, her feet seemingly glued to the floor. She wanted to move. She knew she should. Yet all she could do was stand and stare at the man she should have been married to by now.

Angel reached out and gently touched Elizabeth. He could tell she was about to swoon. He gathered her into his arms just as she passed out. He carried her out of the cabin and onto the deck before laying her out. "Could you stay with her, please, Cordelia?" he asked the Princess who had followed him. "I don't know what Brendan needs. I need to check and get stuff for him."

"Of course," she answered with a quick nod. There was so much she wanted to ask him, but she knew that everything else would have to wait.

* * *

The screams had been the first the rest of the crew had known anything was amiss. They had rushed in the direction of the screams only to glance in and see that Will was in bad shape. Knowing that Brendan needed privacy to work on the boy, the others had backed up, gotten out of the way, and continued about their work.

Lorne was lugging the bag of books he had gotten from the Halliwells when he spotted Piper. "I'll put these downstairs," he told her. "It's where our sleeping quarters are. They'll be safe there. It won't take me long." He smiled at her and headed downstairs with them.

When he got to his sleeping area, he saw some one was in his cot. He could not yet tell who it was through the darkness but knew that it was some one who was not supposed to be there for each crew member had his or her own cot and, except for Lex and Clark, did not usually sleep in each other's cots. "Hey," he called out. "What are you doing in my bed?"

When he did not get an answer, he stepped closer and was finally able to make out the person enough to tell that it was a female he did not recognize. He took another step closer, and his breath caught in his throat as he finally made her out completely. A beautiful woman lay before him. Her silvery blonde hair fell in soft circles around her body. Her skin was pale white, and he could tell from the look of its texture that it would be as soft to touch as her long hair. She wore a long, black dress. Though it was formal and made him think of a grieving gown, its bodice had a small dip, and something blue twinkled up at him from her bosom that rose and fell in her sleep.

"Miss?" he called but still did not receive an answer. He slowly reached out one hand to touch her and shake her awake. His green fingers were but a heartbeat from touching her when something suddenly clamped down onto his rear with a huge bite. "OW!" he yelled even as he slapped behind him. No reaction came from his biter, but a roar sounded in front of him.

Lorne's red eyes shot even wider as a blue dragon dropped down directly in front of him. "WHAT THE HELL!" he yelled, trying hard not to panic. Whatever had a hold of his butt was in real danger of getting too close to his heart; thank the Gods it had bit him in the right butt cheek and not the left! He kept turning around and around, trying to swat it but not seeing anything. He stumbled over something and looked down. "HOLY SHIT!" he yelled, jumping back just in time to avoid the massive claw of a lioness.

From somewhere behind the dragon, a new voice sounded. It was confused and feminine, and had the situation been any different, Lorne might have even noted a bit of a musical lilt to it. "Blue? Elvira? Cindy? What -- ?" The voice stopped as soon as it had started, and he could feel a new pair of eyes on him. "Oh my!"

"Oh my! GET THEM _OFF_," he yelled, "BEFORE THEY CHEW MY BUTT SLAM OFF!"

"Elvira," the woman scolded, "release him!" A whine came from around his rear, and ice blue eyes flashed at whatever had his rear. "_Yes_, you have to! I'm sure he did not mean any harm! _We_ are to blame, not him! Now **_release him_**, young lady!" At that, Lorne's rear was finally released, and none other than a wolf padded around him.

With a yelp, Lorne ran like Hell to get out of there. He ran right into a group of the crew members who were coming down to see what all the yelling was about and did not slow down until he reached the deck. The others, seeing that he was terrified, did not investigate but ran back to the deck, as well. They didn't want any part of whatever was down there if not even a Demon could handle it!

* * *

Lorne did not stop until he ran straight into Angel, almost knocking him down. "There's a woman down there in my bed! She's got three of the worst Demonic animals I've ever seen!" He was still shaking even as he turned around to show his rear to Angel. "One of them took a bite out of my butt!"

Angel cocked an eyebrow as he inspected the damage. "Yup. I see teethmarks all over it," he said. "What kind of woman caused all that trouble?"

"It wasn't the woman. It was her damn animals! There's a little, blue monster of a dragon, a lioness, and a wolf! The wolf was trying to chow down on me! Thank the Gods she missed my heart!"

"I'll go down and see," Angel said. "Stay up here. Jack should be here any minute."

* * *

As Angel walked down the stairs into the sleeping area, he called out, "Hello? Who are you, and can I help you?"

A frantic voice met Angel's ears, but its owner did not appear to be talking to him. "Oh Gods!" she whispered nervously. "What are we going to do now! I knew we shouldn't have gotten on board! Blue, the things I let you talk me into! And just _why_ did you have to go take a bite out of that poor man's rear, Elvira! Yes, I know he touched me, but still I was probably in his bed or something! He didn't mean any harm! _We're_ the trespassers here!" It was then that the three animals turned as one to face the newcomer. Their mistress ceased talking instantly as her ice blue eyes followed them to see the man standing on the steps.

Angel tried not to act nervous as he continued on into the room. "Who are you?" he asked. "If you had identified yourself, we would have given you sanctuary if you needed it. You hurt one of my crewmates, but you're not in trouble about being on board. My name's Angel." He did not go all the way to the woman but waited for her to answer him.

"Cr-Crys," she told him, "and I am sorry about that." She reached out a hand to gently stroke the head of the wolf who stood next to her. "Elvira does not usually act in such a manner. None of them do, really. It's just that they thought he intended to harm me and were protecting me. It's my fault, really. I should have never let Blue talk me into coming here, but we were -- we were trying to get out of the snow. That's no excuse for my falling asleep, however. It's just that I haven't slept in days, but still, I'm so sorry. _We're_ sorry, aren't we, guys?" she asked the animals. Elvira nodded slowly. The dragon released a puff of smoke, but the lioness growled, kneading the floor beneath her claws as she did so. "I-I could heal your friend's . . . hum . . . you know . . . " she offered hesitantly, a deep shade of crimson staining her pale cheeks.

Angel had began to pick up the books Lorne had tossed when he had been bitten. He carried them over and sat them down by the bed, not taking his eyes off of the woman and her animals. "You're a healer?" he asked.

"Not quite," she answered, "but I do have . . . _something_ that can heal."

"How strong is it?" Angel asked.

"Very," she replied. "It's brought m -- beings back from the brink of death before."

Angel thought quickly. "You can show me on Lorne. Come upstairs," he said, motioning toward the deck. He walked back toward the deck, hoping she was following and that whatever she had would be strong enough not only to heal Lorne but could also be used to help Will. He did not say anything but prepared to watch.

"Stay on your best behavior now, you three," the woman who had given her name only as Crys whispered to the three animals who remained next to her. As she stood, so did the wolf and lioness. The four followed Angel together. Cindy and Elvira strode beside their mistress, keeping perfect pace with her steps, and Blue flew beside her head.

* * *

Cole had returned for Jack. He hoped he had returned to his normal state of being. Jack's mind was never too good at the best of times, especially when he was mad. Cole couldn't blame him now, but he had had to take Will.

Jack was fuming, swishing his sword back and forth as he paced up and down. He was trying desperately to block his mind from the thought that Will could die on him, without ever knowing how he felt for him, but was also failing miserably. Jack was a man of few words, and he had no clue as to how to tell Will what he felt. He had not before, and now it might be too late.

Jack saw Cole appear and sheathed his sword. Cole didn't say a word but reached out a hand toward Jack; Jack took his hand. He shimmered Jack to the ship.

Just as they arrived on the deck, Jack saw a strange assortment of creatures coming out of the sleeping area. A beautiful woman was in the midst of a lioness, a wolf, and a dragon. He had no ideal who she was. He did not say anything but just glared angrily around, trying to see what was going on. The crew seemed to be standing around, waiting in anticipation of something. "Well?" he asked, looking around at them. "Get back to work!" he barked.

He looked at Lorne who was standing there and looked a paler shade of green than he usually looked. "What happened?" Lorne didn't say anything but just turned around. Jack's eyes were immediately drawn to the torn pants and the bite marks on the butt. Putting two and two together, he realized that Lorne had put his hand where he shouldn't have and somebody had tried to take his butt off in retaliation. "The dragon?" he guessed aloud.

"Nope," Lorne answered. "The wolf."

"It figures," Jack said, nodding his head. They each waited as the woman came forward.

* * *

Four sets of eyes flicked nervously around at the various people aboard the ship, but the two beings they kept returning to were the green Demon, from whom Elvira still toted a strip of fabric in her mouth, and the man who appeared to be the Captain. "Stay behind me," Crys whispered to them, but none of the three did as told.

The lioness' tail swished in silent protest and information to her mistress that she would stand beside her, regardless of whatever came their way. The dragon's tail also swished, but Elvira was the one who padded forward. "Elvira," Crys called, but the wolf shook her head as she approached Lorne. Fearing the worst reaction possible from the two men, Crys hurriedly swept forward, but Elvira still reached the Demon before she could. "Please don't -- " Crys started, holding out a hand in hopes of stilling any blades that might come forward.

Jack and Lorne stood still and watched as Elvira approached. Jack wondered, Please don't what? What was the woman afraid he was about to do? "Ma'am?" he asked.

No sword had been drawn yet, but Crys' heart still hammered fearfully within her chest. "Please don't hurt her," she said.

Jack had to laugh. Though his laughter did not foretell doom, he could tell that it unnerved the woman and animals and stopped. "It's not the ideal we're going to hurt her," he explained. "It's the ideal she's already hurt Lorne's rear and something needs to be done about it, so I guess you're elected to be the doctor in the situation."

"That's perfectly all right. I can heal him, but it was not her fault. It's my own. I should never have fallen asleep. They thought he was going to hurt me. That is the _only_ reason why they attacked him."

"Ma'am, you're aboard The Black Pearl, and any who come here seeking sanctuary are safe. That includes their pets. You had but to ask. It's between Lorne and you what you work out about the pants and all, but if you can control your pets, you're welcome to be aboard." He ached to be where Will was, but he also wanted to see if this woman could truly heal.

"Thank you, sir," Crys answered, knowing what was expected of her. She breathed a silent sigh of relief at the realization that they were not in danger from him or, evidently, any of the rest of his crew but already knew they would not linger long.

Reaching Elvira, she knelt beside the wolf, who was looking up at Lorne and ignoring the Captain completely. She whined and lowered her head, the piece of fabric hanging down from her mouth. "She says she's sorry," Crys explained, "and wishes to give you back your fabric."

"She can keep the fabric," Lorne said. "I can't fix it back in my pants. Just keep her mouth closed. I don't want any more bites. She came very close to killing me. If she had bit the left side, I wouldn't be here now." He turned around, revealing the open area of his pants.

Crys looked up at him as if the man had taken complete leave of his senses. She almost asked him why he thought so and rather his brain was in his rear but silenced herself just in time. Shaking her head, she dipped her fingers into the bodice of her formal, black dress and slipped out the crystal on the necklace she wore.

Hearing a growl from behind her, she spoke to the lioness without looking at her. "Cindy, relax. They may be men, but they are not out to harm us. Behave for me, please, sweetheart." The lioness' tail cut through the air, but though she hushed and sat down, she fixed the Captain with a glare that warned him that he would meet a fate far worse than his Demon's if he were to harm her mistress.

Jack's eyes were drawn by Angel who was carrying a bucket of hot water and had just made it to his cabin door. He wondered what was going on inside. Was Brendan able to do anything? He knew better than to go in there right now, because if he did and Will cried out from something Brendan did, he would again have Brendan by the throat before he realized it, so he braced himself and stood watching the woman, hoping that she did not lie and that the crystal, which he now noted was intricately carved in an unusual shape, did heal.

Taking a deep breath, Crys leaned closer to the green rear in front of her. Her fingers trembled around the blue crystal even as she pressed it to the skin. Even as the crystal began to glow, the wound began to heal. Within mere seconds, there was not even the first bitemark left, and Crys pulled back as the crystal ceased glowing.

Jack stared at the unblemished skin of Lorne's rear. "Lorne, go change your clothes," he ordered. "Ma'am, could I talk to you about that crystal? Can it heal again?"

Crys stayed kneeling beside Elvira even as she slipped the crystal back into its hiding place. Fear shone in her eyes as she looked up at the Captain. "It can," she said, speaking slowly and choosing her words carefully, "but it is not for sell."

"I don't wish to buy it though I will pay you anything you ask if you will but heal my best friend. He means more to me than life itself, and I fear that he will die. Will you help me?"

"Of course," she was quick to reassure him. As she stood, the three animals, including the dragon who had settled onto the lioness' back, also stood. "But I ask no payment save for you to keep your word and no harm befall us."

"That's not payment," Jack said. "What do you want in exchange?" In Jack's mind, everything had to be paid for and nothing freely given else the receiver would always be in debt to the one who had given. "Anything I have except for the Pearl is yours for the asking. Just save my friend."

"You have but to take us to your friend," she told him. She shook her head, and her honest eyes met his as she repeated, "But I ask no payment."

"Come, madam. There must be something you want. Anything at all."

Again, she shook her head. "There is nothing that you or any other person can give me that I want, sir. Please, for your friend's sake, do not continue this for the answer shall remain the same."

"Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I am in your debt. He's in here," Jack said and gestured toward the shattered door, again wondering how it had become that way. "If something should go wrong, could your animals stop me from destroying my other friend, Brendan, and yourself? I can be crazy at times. If Will dies, I can not guarantee my sanity."

"Your friend will not die. The crystal will save him, but they will not allow any harm to come to me or any one I ask their protection upon."

"Thank you," he said simply.

She nodded and followed Elvira into the room. Blue flew beside her head, but Cindy hesitated, glowering up at Jack.

As Jack followed in behind her, he noticed that Elizabeth was laid out on the deck with the Princess looking down on her and taking care of her. He hoped she would be okay. He imagined seeing Will that way was a great shock for her as it had been for him. The room was far too quite, and Brendan was sweating and covered in Will's blood. "I have brought you help, Brendan. Thank you, my friend, for what you have done for Will and myself."

"Any time," Brendan replied hesitantly, his eyes drawn to the woman and her animals. The wolf's whine brought his attention to Elvira. His head cocked to one side, and his eyes flickered on yellow for a second as he listened to her. He whimpered back, and she again answered him in another whimper. "Must be some crystal," he murmured under his breath even while stepping back out of the way.

Although Brendan had looked at her in surprise, Crys had also looked at him in surprise and had to smile despite herself. "It is always a pleasure to meet one of a similar kindred, despite the circumstances," she told him, and the wolf raised a brow at her. What was that unusual scent on her? he wondered. It wasn't just the dragon, wolf, or lioness. What was that that smelled of such cold that his hair bristled at the mere thought?

Jack watched the interchange between the two. He stood back out of the way with his back against the wall and his eyes riveted on Will. He scarcely breathed as he prayed that the crystal would work and heal Will. If Will died, there would be no tomorrow for Jack. There would be no chance for him to tell and show him how he felt. If he lived, Jack would find a way to tell him even if it was thrown back in his face.

Elvira sat beside the wolfman, but Cindy placed herself directly in front of the Captain. Her tail lashed out repeatedly against the floor as she stared him down. One wrong move, and he was hers. Jack's mind was so lost on Will that he paid very little attention to the lioness.

Blue hovered in the air above his mistress and the injured man. He watched as her ice blue eyes traveled Will's body, and all heard her sharp intake of breath as she realized what she would have to do. There was only one way to heal damage of such an extension, and all three animals braced as if expecting all Hell to break lose as she lifted the necklace from around her neck. She placed it instead around Will's and stepped immediately back.

As the crystal began to glow and all eyes turned to it, Blue settled onto her shoulder. He cooed quietly in worry. She reached up and stroked his head gently even while whispering to him so quietly that not even the wolves could overhear them, "It could not be helped."

The crystal's glow spread slowly down Will's body. As its light spread further, encompassing more wounds, it lifted him from the bed. The scratch on his cheek was the first to heal, and the skin sealed itself so perfectly that there was no sign of the cut left. The bloody gashes the chain had cut into his back were next. The blood vanished into thin air, and the wounds sealed themselves as well. Finally, it reached the place where his hamstrings had been sliced off, and they began to regrow.

Jack's mouth fell open in astonishment as he watched the crystal work. It was amazing! It was a miracle! Best of all, it was healing Will quickly and leaving no scars behind! He knew even though there were no scars on his body, there would be scars on his heart and soul forever, but those could be lived with and overcome. He would live! His heart sang. They would have a chance!

When the hamstrings were complete and all the blood, right to the last drop, was gone, Will's body settled back onto the bed, and the crystal ceased its glowing. Without a word, Crys stepped forward again, lifting the necklace and returning it to her own neck. "He may wake in spurts, but it will be a while before he is fully back to himself. He is, however, _physically_," she stressed the word, knowing that whatever had caused such damage had left far greater damage on his heart and spirit, "completely healed."

Jack rushed forward and grasped her in a hug, not thinking about how the animals might react. He kissed her on both of her cheeks. "I owe you my life. If you ever need anything, don't fail to call for me. My name is Jack Sparrow. You are welcome to stay aboard the Pearl for as long as you want." He released her, only then realizing that she was holding out a hand to still Cindy.

"I am only glad that I could help," she told him. "However, we must take our leave now."

"I wish that you would stay. You'd be safe here," he told her even as he rushed over to the bed. He gazed lovingly down at Will, who seemed to be resting peacefully. He fell to his knees beside the bed and reached out, tenderly touching Will's hand. His eyes never left Will.

Seeing that the Captain was otherwise detained, she breathed a sigh of relief at the thought that they would be able to leave before she endangered them any further. With a silent nod to her trio, she gestured to them. They rose and joined her in walking over to the exit, but even as they reached it, a muscular chest slid between them and the outside. Looking up, she found the wolfman standing in their way. "He is healed now."

"I know."

"So why . . . ?"

"It is safer for you here."

Knowing that she could not tell him that it was not safe for them for her to stay, she tried a different tactic instead. "Perhaps I do not wish to stay but to return to my home."

Brendan shook his head. Nodding at her wolf, he tapped his own nose as he told her, "I would have thought you would have known better than that."

"Oh." Her face fell. She had not even stopped to consider that a wolf could smell a liar a mile away.

"Captain?" Brendan called to Jack, unsure as to rather or not he would actually be able to tear his attention away from Will for even a moment.

"Yes, Brendan?" Jack called.

"Hum," the wolf responded nervously, "what do you wish me to do here?"

"The woman needs to stay for a while. It's for her own safety. Something's not quite right here." Looking at the woman, he said, "You're running from something. It's happened to us often enough that we can spot it a mile away. You're safe here. We're about to leave port, and we'll drop you anywhere you want outside of Port Royal. Port Royal's going down tonight. We won't leave you here."

She looked at him as he spoke to her but could not think of what to say. She had already known Port Royal was going down that night but knew it for a completely different reason than whatever he was thinking. "I can not stay," she said finally.

"Angel," Jack called, "take care of her and make sure she does not leave the ship. Give her anything she wants, but do not let her leave. It's for her own good."

Angel, who had been standing in the shadows the entire time, seeing everything and not understanding a lot of it, said, "Yes, sir," to Jack. "I'll see to it. If you'll come this way, ma'am? Brendan, I might need your help," he said.

Brendan shook his head even as the blonde, sounding far more like her animals than a human being, growled. "Actually, Angel, I think you could use these three's help more than mine." He hated blackmail, especially when it came to such a kind woman, but he knew when the situation called for it and used it as it was needed. Kneeling before Elvira, he held out a hand to her and gently scratched her underneath her chin. "Look. We don't know what's going on here, but you guys do. Is she going to be safe there?" All three, even Cindy, instantly shook their heads.

"She'll be safe here," Angel said. "We'll lock her in the room until we get out of port, but we won't hurt her or let any harm come to her," he said, talking to the animals. "You can go in with her if you want." He had a feeling the animals had been trying to work with her and keep her safe for a long time and that she had been working against them at the same time. "Sorry, ma'am, but we just can't let you go."

Brendan could tell that they were already earning the trust of the wolf and dragon, so he turned his attention to the lioness who growled at him. "Easy there, pretty kitty," he told her. "Seems to me that you hate all guys, and I don't even want to know what you think of wolves. But what if I told you that we also have cats aboard? There are three Werecats of sorts aboard, and they'll be looking out for your mistress, as well." He could see her beginning to relent and continued. "Besides, does she stand even a chance of being safe on shore?" That question was the first time that the lioness' tail had stilled, and Brendan knew he had her.

"I don't believe this!" Crys spoke her thoughts aloud. "I should have never healed him!" Yet, even as she spoke the words, she knew she would have still healed the dying man had she known what was coming. Besides, they only thought they could hold her. Regardless of whatever it might be meant for, she knew that the room the Vampire spoke of could not hold her. She'd let them think that it would and then, as soon as he left to deal with something else, she'd take control and be out of there and off the ship before he even knew what had happened. She'd deal with her betraying familiars later, though the pain of their betrayal stung her heart deeply.

Jack did not even look up as the others left the room. He moved closer to Will, who was laying on his back and breathing deeply, and kissed him on the forehead. Will did not stir. Gathering his courage to himself, Jack stood, leaned forward, kissed Will softly on the lips, and then ran out of the room as though all the hounds of Hell were behind him.

He almost knocked Elizabeth down. She had just revived and had gotten to her feet with Cordelia's help. "Go to him and take care of him," he said. Without a backward glance, he took off again.

Elizabeth blinked, the confusion still clearing from her mind, as she watched Jack's fleeing back. Looking to Cordelia, she asked, "Shouldn't you go after him?"

"Me?" Cordelia asked, both her face and voice clearly showing her surprise. "Why?"

"Isn't he yours?"

"My what?" Cordelia looked at the blonde as though she had lost all her sense even as she waited for her answer.

"You know, your . . . Your lover?" Elizabeth finally responded, using the last word in lack of a better one for she had no ideal just how deeply the two were involved.

"The _Captain_?" Cordelia asked in disbelief. "I barely know the man!"

"But . . . But when I met you earlier, you looked as if . . . " It was only then that Elizabeth recalled Angel's condition when she had first come aboard the ship earlier. He had seemed in desperate need for air and had left Cordelia behind him in the Captain's cabin. "Angel then?" she asked.

Although Cordelia almost said "yes" to that, she quickly silenced herself and shook her head instead. "Look. Your betrothed needs you," she told her, sounding harsher than she had intended. "You need to go tend to him instead of being so curious about my romantic life."

Shock registered in Elizabeth's blue eyes that the brunette would take such a tone with her, but then she agreed with a nod of her head. What was she doing out here, talking to a girl she barely knew, when her beloved Will needed her? "You're right." She did not bother to take the time to apologize but hurried into Jack's cabin instead.

* * *

Jack, meanwhile, had not been able to find anywhere to hide. He felt as though the whole world was looking at him. In fact, he had expected the Gods to strike him down when he had kissed Will. The taste of Will's lips lingered upon his, and he finally grew still, realizing that he had reached the wheel of the ship. He grabbed it in both of his hands as though it were a lifeline and bowed his head, touching the wheel with his forehead. "I don't know which of you Gods were listening and which of you healed Will, but I want to thank you for sparing him. If you want me to do something in return, show me."

"Jack," Gabrielle called as she approached him, "where's Xena?"

He jumped as though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and looked up at Gabby with a wild look in his eyes. "She's back in Port Royal. Won't be long before she comes. They had to look around and see if any one needed help. You know we never leave an area unchecked." He breathed deeply, trying to catch his breath.

She nodded and was about to walk off when she took another look at him. She knew Will's condition was hitting him hard and realized that he could probably use a distraction. "We need to talk."

Jack hated to hear those words. He was not in a mood for talking. In fact, his heart was racing so hard that he could hardly hear her speaking to him. No one had seen him kiss Will. No one knew he had done it except himself, so what was he running from? he asked himself. He tried to slow his heart down. "I think I need some rum badly," he gasped out. "Then we can talk."

She nodded. "If you don't now, you will."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. What kind of news could she be wanting to talk to him about that would make her say that he needed rum? He'd better make it a double. He turned around, looked in the cabinet that was just behind the wheel, opened it, and took out a bottle. He offered it to her first, but she declined with a shake of her head. He turned the bottle up and took a great big drink out of it. "Now you wanted to talk?" he said, his voice becoming slightly slurred.

She nodded. "Don't pull that crap with me. One sip doesn't make you drunk."

"I'm not drunk, Gabby," he said with a shake of his head. "I've just been through so much today. Will's going to be just fine. In fact, I sent Elizabeth to be with him. It should not be long before he wakes up. Thank the Gods that new woman healed him."

Gabrielle looked at him rather strangely, but she nodded in agreement, resolving to ask him about the new woman later. "Thank the Gods for that," she agreed, "and for something else too."

"I'll drink to the Gods," Jack said, lifting his bottle.

"I'm sure Bacchus'll love that, but look, Jack, in all seriousness, we've got to talk. We just took on quite a load that you need to know about before we pull out."

"Yes?" Jack said. The rum was beginning to go straight to his head. He could not remember when he had last eaten. He looked at her. There seemed to be two Gabrielles looking at him, but he kept a very serious face, not wanting her to know that the rum was hitting him pretty hard. "We took on a big load of what?" he asked.

"People," she answered. "Witches, to be more exact."

He hiccupped softly. "Witches? Where'd you get them at?"

"Rescued them."

"What do they want? Can't have my rum. I plan to get plenty drunk with it."

Gabrielle shook her head. "You know," she said, referring to his comment about his treasured rum, "this is why I always try not to waste my breath on you."

"I did it, Gabby," he just could not keep it to himself. "I expected to be hit with a lightning bolt or anything else out of the blue, knocking me out, even killing me, but it didn't."

"Jack, what in Hades are you talking about?"

"Will."

"Will what?"

"I . . . " He looked everywhere but at her face. Then he mumbled his words, "Ikissedhim."

"You what?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I . . . kissed him. Then I ran like Hell. Thank Gods he didn't wake up! How was I going to explain that?" He looked at her as if for explanation.

"Maybe with the truth?" she suggested though she knew he'd rather cut his own tongue out than ever tell Will he loved him.

"If I tried that, I'd lose him forever. It's better to have him for a friend and he never know than it would be to lose him. I couldn't live if I lost him, Gabby."

Gabrielle shook her head. "You think that that's your only choice now, Jack. I understand that -- I thought that once with Xena --, but you'll come to the point where it's eating you up inside and you have to do something more than just kiss him when he's not even awake and run like Hell."

"I'm fighting it really hard, Gabby. I don't want to lose or repulse him. Hell, I'm a Pirate, and he's . . . " He thought for a moment, trying go describe him. "A gentleman? He deserves to have a happy life with Elizabeth. He doesn't need me in there causing trouble. Above all, I want him to be happy."

"I understand that, Jack, but the only way he's going to be happy is to be with the person he loves." She knew that time was ticking steadily by and that she had to inform him of the situation with the newcomers before they pulled out of port and it caught him by surprise. "He'll tell you soon enough who that person really is," she continued hopefully, "but in the meantime we have to concentrate on the situation at hand."

"Split them up. Put part on your ship and part on my ship," Jack said. "I don't need to know the particular details. Just give the order to get both ships ready. I think I'm going to be sick," he said and headed for the rail.

Gabrielle shook her head as she watched him go and couldn't help silently comparing him to a lovesick pup with his tail between his legs. Shaking her head, she turned back to the business at hand.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

Jack clung to the rail as though his life depended on it. He couldn't remember ever feeling this bad. He had thought he was going to throw up, but he hadn't. Suddenly, he heard a sound erupting from his stomach. Whatever was wrong with him was now in his stomach, and he felt like the bottom had dropped out. He dropped the bottle of rum as his hands flew to clutch at his gut, and he doubled over in pain.

He screamed Brendan's name. Some one had poisoned him! He didn't know who, but his pain was so great that he thought he was dying. Not fair! he thought. Not fair! I've got to get the bastard before I die! Even as he thought that, he wondered who had sneaked aboard the ship and poisoned him. "BRENDAN!" he screamed again. He fell to the deck, still clutching at his gut.

* * *

As soon as Jack had disappeared, Xena had called the others to gather around her. "We need to break off into pairs, go out, and check for survivors. Save who and what you can, and do it quickly. Autolycus, you're with me," she called to the man who had just found the strongbox and was dragging it away from the dead man's hands.

"Yes?" he called back to her. "Are you finally needing my attention? Look at what I got!" He held the box up.

"We'll start a collection of what we're taking back with us here," she said as she placed her foot carefully amongst the fallen debris. "We'll start with your box, Autolycus. Set it down right here."

"No way! It's mine!" he protested.

"No, it's ours," Xena said, "and we're not breaking up the spoils right now. Put it here." She again tapped the spot with her booted foot, and he set it reluctantly on the ground. "Now branch out and look for survivors but don't wander off too far. I don't want to have to rescue you again," she added, looking at Autolycus again.

Autolycus was about to answer her when he heard Faith mutter, "So that's how he got out of there."

"Yeah," he shot back at her, "not with any help from you!"

She grinned at him. "Tell ya what. Next time, I'll just let the giant do with ya what he wants."

Without another word, Autolycus ran out to search for more jewels. He knew he could never win in a sparring match against Faith. Xena did not break the others up into groups. She knew they'd form natural pairings any way, and in fact, Clark and Lex had already gone off together. Xena headed off after Autolycus, leaving Faith and Dawson alone with Carl still screaming and still being ignored.

* * *

Brendan had returned to the Captain's cabin to check on Will, but he had ran from there the instant he had heard Jack screaming his name. Now he leapt to where his friend lay, concern etched clearly over his face. "Jack, what happened!"

"Some one's poisoned me!" Jack gasped out. "Rum! The rum!" He pointed to where the bottle had fallen. "I think I'm dying!" He closed his eyes against the pain.

Brendan's heart pounded fearfully as he snatched the bottle, and his eyes shifted to yellow as he sniffed it. One sniff confirmed that there had been a herb added to the rum, and the second told him not only what the herb was but also who had slipped it in there. The first words of explanation he spoke escaped him in a great rush of relief. "You're not dieing."

Jack opened his eyes in surprise. "Can't be hurting this bad, Brendan, and not dieing," he almost whispered. "Not fair. I've gotta kill that bastard! I can't even move! It seems like it's eating a hole in my gut! What is it?"

"Cat's claw," Brendan answered. "You might wish you were dead, my friend, but it won't kill you."

"Will it pass? Who did it?" He knew Brendan could smell well enough to know both what it was and who it was. As soon as Jack had recovered from the pain, he was going to get the culprit. Nothing was going to stand between him and the Governor! "Can you help me get to the privy?" He felt that he might get to feeling better if he could just make it there.

Brendan nodded. Reaching a hand down and pulling Jack to his feet, he told him, "We'd better get you there fast. That's mostly what it's going to do to you. You'll have to take more of the herb, but it will pass."

They barely made it. Jack breathed a sigh of relief as he shut the door and his world exploded almost immediately, relief being granted as it did so. "Thank the Gods!" he breathed. Jack jumped as he heard something hit the door. "Brendan," he called through the closed door, "are you all right!"

A low growl answered him at first, and he could easily picture Brendan shaking his head fiercely as he tried to fight against the stench that was assailing his nostrils. Finally, Brendan's voice answered him, but even then it was considerably weakened. "Yes, sir."

"Sorry," Jack called back with a sheepish grin, "but, Brendan, get me the culprit!"

Brendan shook his head. He didn't want to have to deliver the culprit, but he knew that he had no other choice. Brendan had a good ideal why the man had done what he had done, and he knew he had never meant to make Jack think he was dieing. He sighed but only called back, "Right away, Cap'n." Then sniffing the air again, he headed reluctantly down to the sleeping quarters.

* * *

Cole had been searching for the Lewis sisters for a while. He had not seen any of the cats and figured that they were holed up sleeping somewhere, so he returned to the sleeping quarters to check there again. They had not been there the first time and he did not know how he had missed them, but the couples were now curled up, asleep, together.

The men's arms were wrapped around their wives, and the women were nestled into their chests. Tom's and Katrina's tails lay entwined around each other, and Celina's circled one of Morph's legs. They looked like the perfect picture of matrimonial bliss. Cole hated to wake them, but he knew that Will was in desperate need of them.

He had just been about to call out to them when he noticed Brendan heading that way. Why was Brendan here and not up taking care of Will? "Brendan, why are you here? Is Will okay?"

Brendan nodded, and his haunted eyes turned to look at Cole as he answered him. "Will's fine, better than I ever could have hoped, actually. There's another new woman aboard. She used a crystal to heal him." He did not add that the Captain had then had her put into the room.

"The ship seems to be crawling with new women," Cole said. "I think it's a good thing," he added, thinking on Piper. "We've been needing more crew members. Women make great fighters, and the group we've got today all seem to be gifted." Many Pirates were superstitious of having women on board, but the additions of Xena, Gabrielle, the Lewis sisters, and Faith had already taught the men of the Pearl and Sea Witch alike that women actually made wonderful crewmates.

Brendan raised an eyebrow at his friend. Cole spoke as though there were at least a dozen new women, but he only knew of three. "You make it sound like there's a lot more, but I thought we only had three new additions?"

"Three? Where've you been? There's the Halliwells; that's four alone. There's Ororo; she's a Weather Witch. There's . . . " he thought for a moment, ". . . a woman in a black dress; I'm not sure what her name was. There's a woman with brown hair and a new kid."

"But that's a male," Brendan interjected. Where had all these other women come from? "I knew about Cordelia, Elizabeth, and the blonde with the animals, but those are the only new women I'd heard of."

"And those three you just mentioned," Cole concluded the list of new arrivals. "The others came from rescue," he continued to explain. "We rescued a lot of Witches today. The townspeople were trying to kill them. We spent the bigger part of the day rescuing them, and the others just got back a little while ago. Part of us are still not here. They were with Jack and have not returned yet. So, all in all, I think we've got quite an addition."

"Yeah," Brendan said quietly in agreement. His eyes turned back to the four sleepers as he added underneath his breath, "But we may be about to lose four of our best."

"What makes you say that?" Cole asked in surprise. "Why do you think they're going to leave us?" His eyes turned toward the cats again.

"Tom slipped cat's claw into Jack's rum."

"What's that?" Cole asked.

"A herb," Brendan answered. "It won't kill, but you just about wish you were dead before it gets done with your stomach."

"Why would Tom do something stupid like that?" Cole questioned. "He adores Jack! Why would he want to make him sick?"

Brendan's gaze turned back to Cole. There was no doubt in his mind to the answer. "Jack's been laying even more heavily on the rum lately. You know I had to rescue him in the last storm we went through; he was so drunk that he didn't even realize the danger! Evidently Tom was the only one of us who cared enough to dare to do something to make Jack think twice about the rum."

"Makes sense to me. I remember seeing Jack hanging out there, one hand on the rail and the other hand clutching a bottle of rum, and singing at the top of his lungs, 'A pirate life for me!', heedless of wind and storm. Didn't you have to tie him down in the bed to keep him below deck?"

Brendan nodded. "Yup, and I made it to him just before he would have been struck by lightning." His voice was as deep with sorrow and worry as his heart.

"So what do we do now? We wake Tom and ask him? I can imagine Jack's bellowing for the culprit."

"You know he is, and I know it's Tom. There's no mistaking his scent."

"And you don't want to deliver Tom to him? I can't blame you," Cole admitted. "Let's wake him, get his side of the story, and then we can figure out what to do."

"Of course I don't," Brendan answered, "but what choice do I have? Like it or not, Jack's our Captain -- or, at least, he's mine --, and what he says goes."

"What do you think Jack will do to him?" Cole asked.

Brendan shrugged. "I don't know," he replied honestly, "but he can't kill him. Even if he were that angry, you know his wife would never allow it." He didn't even want to think about Katrina when she was the angriest he'd ever seen her, and he had the feeling that, where her family was concerned, especially her husband, she could be even fiercer.

Cole reached out, touched Tom, and gently shook him. He was rewarded when Tom's eyes blinked open rather sleepily. "Come here," Cole told him and waited for Tom to follow him.

Tom's pupils narrowed as he looked up at Cole. "Why?" he whispered back.

"The Captain's gotten into the rum," Cole said, "and all Hell's about to break lose."

An alien curse word slipped from Tom's lips, but then he shook his head. "It was bound to happen sooner or later." His arms were around Katrina, and he gave his wife a gentle squeeze before slipping out from under her.

He had barely stood and was walking by the cot where Morph and Celina slept when a hand suddenly grabbed his leg. He recognized the familiar touch immediately and did not jump but instead looked down into Morph's open eyes. "What . . . ?" his friend started to ask, but Tom hushed him with a single word.

"Jack."

"I told you it'd happen."

"I knew you were right and that it would," Tom agreed, "but somebody had to do something and I was the only one with the balls enough to do it."

Morph grinned up at him even as he slipped away from Celina. "The balls," he asked, "or the stupidity?"

"Both," Tom answered, his grin matching Morph's.

Cole had not known that the Captain had a drinking problem so badly that he needed attention, but he made a mental note that he'd keep check on him. The rum should disappear. If we get to sea and there's no rum, Jack can't drink it. He'll never know what happened to it! He'd like to see who'd get the blame then. Jack was too fine of a man and a great Captain to be so besotted with rum. Besides, he thought, Will's aboard now. He shouldn't need it. I'll take care of it, and he'll never know it was me. He followed behind the others as they made their way slowly back to where Brendan had left Jack.

* * *

Jack felt as though it would never stop coming. He knew it would last forever if he had eaten in the last three days, but he had only sampled a bit of food and had not been able to keep much of what he had eaten down because of the cook. Joxer couldn't cook any better than he could fight. Jack vowed that he would find a cook that could feed his men better.

He pondered on what to do to the culprit. Which one of his men would want to hurt him? He thought he had their loyalty. Had one of them been harboring a grudge and only now decided to pay him back? He couldn't think of any one. Maybe he was a fool because he trusted all of them? He felt as though they were a family. Who was the traitor? Who didn't want to be part of the family?

He wondered why Brendan didn't tell him who the culprit was. Surely it wasn't Brendan? He trusted Brendan with the very life he breathed! His heart refused to accept the thought that Brendan might be the traitor, but who, his brain argued, would know what drug to use that would not kill him but only make him terribly sick besides a doctor?

No, I won't go there! Brendan and I have been too close and into too much stuff together! He'd never do that just because I almost strangled him! It was an accident! He wouldn't have done that! Jack kept denying to himself. It couldn't be Brendan, but the annoying thought kept coming back. Brendan had not spoken one word about who the culprit was, and he seemed to be forever in coming back.

* * *

Faith jumped off of the auction block. She glanced at her shoulder as she started to walk off toward the east. It hurt like Hell, but though she ignored the pain, she knew she could not ignore the blood. Without a second thought, she pulled off her shirt and wrapped the black leather around the wound. The wind played across her hardened breasts, but she did not even bother to glance down as a snowflake fell onto one of her nipples. Instead, she continued to walk, picking her way over the dead bodies and debris that littered the ground.

Dawson ripped off his shirt and handed it to Faith. "Please put this on. We don't need the guys falling out looking at you." He didn't say that he couldn't stand for the guys to even be looking at her when she had her clothes on but most especially now that she was half-naked. He wanted to stare at her. His mouth ached desperately to taste the sweet nectar of her breasts again, but he didn't dare to stick a hand out at them for fear that she'd slice it off and hand it back to him.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Why should that bother you? You already rode."

He remembered Brendan's words: she never gave second rides. He'd hoped he was wrong but could see that he hadn't been. "Please?" he asked, still holding it out to her.

She hesitated but finally subjected. "Well, I suppose it won't leave too much skin open in a fight. All right, choir boy; I'll put it on." She reached for his shirt.

"My name's Dawson, Faith. It wouldn't kill you to call me that. I'm not a choir boy. I didn't even go to church."

Taking the shirt from him, she began to shrug into it. Pain shot through her shoulder again, and she grimaced even as she looked away from him. She continued ahead as she pulled his shirt the rest of the way on and began to button it. "Whatever you say," she called back to him, an impish grin flickering across her face at the reaction he knew he would have, "_Lawson_."

He shook his head disappointedly but followed quickly behind her.

* * *

Finally, Jack felt as though he could go back out of the privy safely. He walked out only to see four men standing there, each with the same dreaded expression etched on his face. Jack looked at each of them in turn as he paced in front of them. Finally he stepped back away from them. "Well," he asked, looking at Brendan, "I hate to think it, but you're the only one here with the knowledge of which herb to use. How could you?"

Surprise flickered in Brendan's eyes. How could Jack think it was him? He felt as if his heart had been cut out at the mere thought that his dearest friend would think he could ever betray him. He started to glance toward Tom but stopped himself, realizing the chance he had been given. Despite the pain in his heart, he would not simply abandon Tom when he had been granted the opportunity to protect him that he had secretly prayed for.

Brendan squared his shoulders but did not look Jack in the eye as he stepped forward. "Some one had to do something, Jack," he spoke quietly. "Your drinking's gotten out of control. It almost killed you in the last storm we went through," his eyes finally lifted, meeting those of his dearest friend, a man whose friendship he'd never deserved, "and you don't even remember it. What kind of a friend would I be if I let you continue to drink yourself to such a manner?"

No, it couldn't be! Jack's heart cried out. Even though he knew Brendan would take the weight of the world on himself, he just couldn't believe that Brendan would do it to him. He began to pace again, stopping in front of Cole who had stepped out and in front of him. "No, Captain Jack. I did it! Brendan's right! Somebody had to stop you from doing yourself in, but Brendan didn't do it. I did it!"

Jack wondered why suddenly every one was trying to protect somebody else. Every instinct told him that it had to be one of these four. After all, they were all present and accounted for, and they were all eagerly accepting the blame. Who was guilty? He looked at Morph as he said, "And supposedly you did it too?"

"Not too," Morph said with the most solemn expression Jack had ever seen on his face. He took one step forward to place himself in front of Tom and then another, walking between Jack and Brendan and Cole. "They're protecting me."

He smiled a bitter smile as he looked at the three of them. "I suppose the question should be why you think you have the right," his voice increased in volume as he talked, "to judge that _I_ had too much to drink and think _you_ could control _my_ drinking!" He was almost shouting now. "I'LL DRINK JUST AS MUCH DAMN RUM I WANT WHEN I WANT IT! WHO'S THE CAPTAIN HERE! _YOU!_" he asked as he turned on Tom, who had already been moving forward.

"No." Tom's voice was even, and his green eyes met Jack's calmly. "You're the Captain, but Brendan's right. We've all seen it. Your drinking almost got you killed. What kind of crew would we be if we let our Captain kill himself? What kind of friends would we be if we didn't do whatever we could to stop you? I couldn't let it go on," he admitted. "We all wanted to do something about it, but I'm the one who did it. I put the cat's claw in your rum, Jack, and by Bast, if I had it to do again and you were in the same manner, I'd do it again! You mean too much to all of us for us to just watch you drink your life away!"

Tom was hardly ever serious except when it came to his feelings for Katrina, and Jack had never seen him more solemn or heard him speak more eloquently than he did now. His declaration took the wind out of Jack's sails. He had not realized that the rum had gotten to him the way it had. He had grasped it for a lifeline, because when he drank it, it helped him to keep his memories at bay. It helped him to forget that he could not have what he wanted. Maybe he had been foolhardy? He didn't even remember the last storm that they were so concerned about. He just remembered waking up, chained in his bed, with a dry mouth and a Hell of a headache.

He looked around at the four men, knowing that he could not condemn any of them, but it did not make it set any easier with him. He couldn't thank them because he wasn't happy about it, but he didn't want to hurt any of them for he cared about each of them deeply. He continued to silently pace up and down, pondering what to do. Finally, he came to a decision. "Temporarily," he said, "you, Tom, and Katrina will be reassigned to the Sea Witch. I can't live expecting my rum to be poisoned at any moment. Therefore I will put you where you'll be safe. I don't want to lose your friendship, but I can't condone what you did. Report to Gabrielle."

He turned his back toward them. "And, Brendan, I'm sorry for accusing you. I didn't want to think it was you, but you're smarter than any one else on this ship. I'm lucky you're my friend," he said, still looking out to sea. "Forgive me?"

Cole, Tom, and Morph had slipped out without a single word, leaving Brendan to face the Captain alone. Brendan had watched them go but had not moved one step from the place he stood. When Jack expected him to speak, he spoke but only one word. "Always."

"So what's next?" Jack asked. "I need more of the herb, or will it just pass? It can't interfere with tonight. I've got to get him, Brendan!" Jack said, turning to look at his friend.

"More will help it to pass more quickly and assuredly. I know you have to do what you must, my friend, but you can not wait until tonight. We have to find a way for you to move more quickly. I've heard whispers about this storm," he explained, looking up at the snow that still continued to fall, covering all of Port Royal in a thick, white blanket. "I'm not sure of all the details, but something's coming with it and we must be out of here before it hits fully."

Jack looked at his hand that still clutched the rum bottle and straightened himself to his full height. He held the bottle out to Brendan. "Get rid of it, and get me more of the herb. We've got to get this ship under sail."

Surprise flickered in Brendan's eyes as Jack told him to get rid of the rum. Had it actually done any good to talk to him? No, he realized as Jack continued, it hadn't. He only wanted this bottle gone because of the herb. "Yes, sir." He nodded and turned to walk away.

Jack gave the order to prepare to sail.

* * *

As various crew members scattered to prepare the ship for sailing, a voice rang out above the din. Gabrielle stood above Jack's cabin as she called out, "IF YOU'RE NEW TO THE SHIPS, COME HERE!"

The newcomers within earshot looked up to see who was calling them. Upon seeing a blonde that some knew but a few did not, they hastened to obey and gathered in front of the Captain's cabin.

Prue Halliwell made sure that all of her sisters were there, lining them up in a neat row in front of the Captain's quarters. She figured the time that they would be placed upon one of the two ships had come, and she prayed that they would be kept together as she was now in her mother's role and absolutely had to keep an eye on her younger sisters.

Paige and Phoebe kept punching each other, trying to get next to Prue. They ended up standing between Piper and Prue with Prue's disapproving eye cast upon both of them. Piper shrugged as she looked at her older sister. "Kids," she said, knowing that her comment would gripe both of her younger sisters. "What can you do?"

Prue nodded in agreement and looked around for Ororo even as she heard Phoebe give Piper a raspberry. "Stop that and pay attention," she said as she popped Phoebe on the arm.

"But she said I was a kid!" Phoebe protested.

"Well, then, stop acting like one!" Paige told her.

"She said you were too!"

"You're both kids," Prue said. "Now be quiet and listen! We might get split up, especially if you two don't behave!" That thought had not occurred to Phoebe or Paige, and both switched instantly to their best behavior.

Knowing that their minds had gone to the thought that they had already lost their mother and grandmother and did not want to lose their sisters, as well, Piper stepped closer to them and silently wrapped her arms around their shoulders in a reassuring embrace. They stood like that, with Prue's eyes on Gabrielle, as they waited fearfully for the announcement.

* * *

Fred hastened to get in the line. She didn't know which ship she'd be assigned to, but she prayed it was the one with Wesley on it. She kept glancing around for him but had not spied him yet. When she finally did, he was sweaty and looked good enough to eat. She was surprised at herself for thinking that and even more surprised when her tongue thirsted to lick the sweat off of him. A light blush shaded her cheeks as she tore her attention away from him. She squinched up her eyes and focused her attention instead on the woman she knew to be Gabrielle.

* * *

"I know we've got two others at least," Gabrielle told the gathered group before her. "Where's Ororo, and have Elvira and Wolf made it back yet?" Looking around, she finally spotted Ororo with Wolverine and called to them. "Wolverine, you can come with your woman," she called to him, "but she's got to be here!"

Wolverine looked at Gabrielle, wondering just what the heck she thought she was doing. He walked over to stand under her and looked questioningly up at her. "What are ya doin' up there?" he asked.

"What the Captain told me to," Gabrielle retorted. A delicious thrill rushed through her at the realization that she was actually looking down upon the man that had been chosen as Xena's second-in-command. He'd never had any right to her position, but he'd ended up there any way. "Why?" she demanded icily. "Got a problem with that?"

"What did the Captain tell ya to do?"

"Sit down, hush, and you'll find out soon enough."

"Don't talk to me like that, little girl!" he called up to her. "I'm here now. I can do whatever job the Captain needs doing."

"Like Hades you can! Jack told me to handle it, and if you don't chill your heels until the rest of the group gets here, I'll be more than happy to tell him that you're interfering with the following of his orders!" Her green eyes flashed down at him.

He looked angrily back up at her and then looked around for Jack. "CAPTAIN," he yelled in protest, "GABRIELLE'S TRYING TO DO MY JOB!"

Jack looked at him. "No, she's trying to do the job I told her to do. You got a problem with that, Wolverine?"

Wolverine mumbled something under his breath that Jack couldn't hear but did not make a comment out loud. "I didn't think so," Jack said and returned to looking in cabinets in search of his rum. Where had it all suddenly gone to? He knew he had more. He didn't pay any more attention to the group.

Gabrielle grinned down at Wolverine as though she were a cat and he but a mouse. "Anything else to say?" she asked him.

"Not at this time," Wolverine responded. He settled back to watch Gabrielle make an ass of herself.

It was at that time that a masculine voice quietly spoke up from behind Prue. "Excuse me, madam, but I need to have a brief talk with Gabrielle."

At the sound of such a masculine voice, Prue wanted to turn around and look. It just melted her right to her bones, and she wanted to see what he looked like. She tried glancing to the side, but he was standing directly behind her and she couldn't see him. She moved slightly to where he could come up to Gabrielle and was rewarded with a sight that made her mouth water.

What a hunk! He was taller than she and had a muscular build. His hair was dark brown and hung slightly past his shoulders. His hands were large but looked like they could caress gently, and she longed to reach out and touch him, to taste him. She could tell her hormones were wild and raging for they usually didn't react around any guy like they were to this stranger. He was different. She didn't know what it was about him, but she planned to corner him later and find out. She stepped back into her place in the line only to bump into some one who was following close behind the man. As she moved to let her pass, the man's delightful scent wafted back to tease her nostrils.

Cordelia's hazel eyes watched as Prue moved again, but she shook her head. "That's all right," she told her. "I'm new too. I simply had not heard the message when Brendan told me on his way here."

"That's okay," Prue answered. "Sorry for almost stepping on you. Who is he?" she whispered.

"He's quite a gentleman," Cordelia admitted in a returned whisper though she was careful not to add that he was not the best gentleman there by far. Even then, part of her mind stayed on Angel, and her lips still burned from the memory of their kiss. "His name's Brendan. Richards, I think. He's the ship's doctor."

"Oh!" Prue breathed, lost in a daydream of where she needed the doctor's care immediately. After all, just the mere sight of him had put her into the greatest danger of burning completely up! "Oh Gods, what a man!" she breathed only to receive a strange look from all three of her sisters.

"Prue!" Piper chided in a hushed whisper. "Phoebe and Paige do not need to hear such!" Although she scolded her sister, Prue's comment reminded her of Cole, and she wondered where that magnificent man had gotten to.

Prue just smiled at her sisters and waited to hear what Gabrielle was going to tell them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Brendan had reached the front of the group. "Gabrielle," he called, "I know you haven't met them, but there are four others you need to be aware of. One's the Pr -- the lady at the back of the group; her name's Cordelia. Then there's Elizabeth, a new boy by the name of Dawson, and a new blonde woman with a group of animals." Gabrielle nodded slowly, taking the information in. "And don't forget Will," Brendan added. "None of those can make it here, but you can still figure out where they're going."

Gabrielle nodded again. "Thank you, Brendan." With a curt nod, he continued on his way, leaving her to return her attention to the group. "Okay. Evidently Wolf and Elvira haven't made it back yet, so we'll get started without them." She turned her attention first to Prue and the three who stood with her. "You're all sisters, right?"

"Yes, ma'am, we are," Prue said with hope shining in her eyes, "and we'd like to stay together if possible, please?"

"Of course." Gabrielle would not have even thought of splitting up what remained of their family for she knew they would need each other desperately. "You four will go on the Sea Witch. That's the other ship, by the way. You're on the Black Pearl right now."

"Thank you," she said. "I hope we won't disappoint you." She hugged her sisters to her.

Gabrielle nodded. "I'm sure you'll be just fine. The important thing is that you made it out of there alive." She smiled at them before returning her attention to the rest of the group.

"Will and Elizabeth will stay on the Pearl. Elvira can go there too, and . . ." Her eyes fell upon Ororo, and she heard a low growl even as she said, "Ororo."

Wolverine was biding his time, waiting to see where Gabrielle was going to put 'Ro. If she tried splitting them up, he was going to give her Hell about it! He had to admit, though, that the girl was handling the situation really well. As Gabrielle stopped talking, giving the group time to let that bit of information sink in, what she had said finally hit Logan. "Ain't no way!" he yelled back up at her. "She goes on my ship!"

"Very well then, Wolverine," Gabrielle told him calmly. "You can go to the Pearl, too."

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" he yelled. "I'M THE QUARTERMASTER! The Captain didn't tell you to reassign the crewmates! He said the newcomers!"

"That he did," Gabrielle admitted with a nod, "and I say Ororo goes to the Pearl."

"I say she goes to the Witch!" he said with a leap and bound, jumping up onto the cabin with her and never realizing that Ororo had reached out a hand in a failed attempt to calm him.

As he moved toward her, Gabrielle slipped her sais out should she be forced to need them. She met him with a calm look. "We don't have to fight about this, Wolverine. You want to go with her, you go to the Pearl."

All the disturbance had caused Jack to look up from his fruitless search for rum. "Y'all makin' enough noise to wake the dead!" he yelled. He had heard what the confrontation was about. "Wolverine, get over here! Bring 'Ro with ya! It's nothing to fight about! One ship's no better than the other ship! NOW!" He stood alert with both hands on his hips. He didn't want to stomp over there and kick his little butt, but he would if he had to. "Gabrielle's in charge of this assignment, and you'll do what she tells you to do or, matey," he said, "you'll walk the plank."

No way did Logan want to walk the plank! He never even unsheathed his claws. He just jumped back down and stomped back by 'Ro's side. "Xena won't like this!" he growled back up at Gabrielle. "Soon as she returns, you'll catch it! She won't want me gone!"

"She never wanted you there in the first place! Jack's the one who assigned the positions!"

"You're wrong, Gabrielle. Xena handpicked me out of all the rest. She's going to be p.o.ed when she gets back."

"If you think I believe she'd pick your _short_ butt over me when _I'm_ the love of her life, you'd better think again!"

Jack looked over at Gabrielle. "Unfortunately, Gabrielle, that's exactly what she did do. I never assigned the positions on your ship. I simply gave it to Xena and made her the Captain, and I've never tried to interfere until now. Maybe I should have done it a long time ago, but you'll have to take it up with her."

As Jack's voice sank in, Gabrielle's heart sank far below the dreaded locker of Davy Jones. Her skin paled. Her hands, which still clutched her sais, trembled, and tears welled in her green eyes. "You're kidding, right, Jack?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle, but I'm not. She gave me her reasons, but I'm not at liberty to tell them. Like I said, you've got to talk to her about it. I thought she was wrong. I told her that, but like I told you, I don't make it a policy to interfere with another Captain's decisions." He didn't know what else to say. He felt for the girl. To lighten the mood, he asked, "Has any one seen my rum? It seems to have grown little feet and run away." He laughed.

Laughter answered Jack's joke, and it burned Gabrielle's ears. She could feel eyes upon her, and her heart felt as if it had broken into a million pieces. Xena hadn't wanted her as her second-in-command? Why? Why if she'd truly loved her, if she _did_ love her? She could feel the tears coming and knew she was moments from breaking down, but she had to finish her task. She had to show the others that she was capable of handling situations, even if Xena, blast her hide, didn't think so.

Tears still shimmered in her eyes as she turned back to the group before her. Her mind whirled as she tried to think of who she had already placed: the Halliwells, Ororo, Will, Elizabeth, Elvira. "Fred, you're to the Witch. Cordelia, Pearl. That new blonde can go to the Pearl, too, whatever her name is, and the kid's to the Witch." Her words came out in a rush so fast that they were barely able to be made out, and then in a flash, she turned and ran. Gabrielle was gone before any one even knew what had happened.

* * *

Jack watched her go. He knew there'd be Hell to pay, and he had no way of telling Xena what she'd be walking into when she returned. He looked down at Logan and the others. "Welcome to your new homes. I will get an escort for those of you going to the Witch. Do not think less of Gabrielle; I'd be emotional were I in her boots, as well." He looked around and was just in time to see Cole shimmer in. "Cole, escort these lovely ladies to your ship and then return. I want you to go and see what's keeping Xena so long, and I have a message for you to give her."

Cole, who had thought he had just been caught after having returned from disposing of all of Jack's rum, smiled at the Captain. "Sure thing. If you ladies would come this way," he called to them and walked off, heading toward the Witch.

Wolverine looked at Jack; Jack looked at Wolverine. "Knew it had to come out sooner or later. I just wish it had come out in a better way." Jack then turned his attention to the regal lady who stood beside Wolverine. "Welcome aboard, Ororo. It seems that today we have lost our resident Sorceresses to the Witch and have a position for you as our chief Sorceress if you're willing to take it." He smiled at her.

Wolverine was extremely surprised at this turn of events. "What about the Lewises?" he asked.

"We had a bit of a misunderstanding," Jack said, making a motion with his hand. "It's better for all of them to be over there." He would not tell any one of Tom's treachery.

Wolverine knew better than to ask any questions. They both looked at Ororo to see what her answer would be.

"I do wish to stay with the ships as long as the Halliwells are here, but I also do not wish to step on any one's toes," she answered hesitantly.

"So does that mean you'll take the job?" Jack asked hopefully. "There's no way they're coming back, so the position is definitely open."

"Very well then," Ororo accepted with a brief nod and a gentle smile. "It would be an honor."

"It will be an honor to have you serving with us, madam," Jack replied with a slight bow. "Wolverine, if you'll show her to the quarters, you can pick out your beds. If there's luggage or anything scattered about the bed, you can pretty well tell that it belongs to somebody. A lot of our crew are messy."

Ororo's face had paled slightly. This was not the first ship she had been on, and she remembered the sleeping quarters of the one that had taken her from Africa. "Hum," she spoke hesitantly. "These quarters, Captain. Are they . . . hum . . . beneath the deck?" She fought to keep a straight face.

"Just one floor down. Right under where we're standing now. Is there a problem?" he asked with concern on his face.

She thought quickly, not wanting to reveal her true problem. "Well, if it is not too much of a hindrance, I believe I would prefer to sleep on deck. I am a Weather Witch, and as such, I prefer to sleep as close to nature as possible." It was not a lie for she did prefer to sleep as close to nature as possible and was indeed a Weather Witch. It simply was nowhere near the truth of her real problem.

"That's no problem," Jack assured her. "Have Wolverine bring you up a cot. Find you an area out of the way of the crew, and you can set up your own little place."

Ororo breathed a silent sigh of relief, but her lips quivered even as she smiled at Jack. "Thank you, sir."

Wolverine simply told Jack, "Thank you." Neither of them mentioned Gabrielle.

"If you need anything, just let me know." He slipped away from them and continued his search for his elusive rum. He had not been gone from them long when he heard Cole returning. "Cole, you need to shimmer to where Xena is and find out what's taking them so long, and you need to tell Xena that Gabrielle knows that she picked out Wolverine for her second-in-command. Tell her Gabrielle took it as hard as she thought she would. Can't have her walking in here blind."

Cole kept his mouth shut. He figured this day would come, and it wasn't going to be a happy time for any concerned. He knew why Xena had appointed Wolverine and not Gabrielle, but knowing Gabrielle, he knew she would never sit still for it. He only hoped Gabrielle would forgive Xena. He cared deeply for both of them, and he did not want to lose them or them lose each other. "Aye aye, Captain; I will," he answered and shimmered out before Jack could ask him about the rum.

* * *

Logan looked at 'Ro. "I know the perfect place, little darlin'. Come with me, an' I'll show ya." He led the way to a small alcove that was near the wheel. It was protected from the weather and just big enough for two cots. "It's small but should be good for both of us. Do ya like it?"

Not yet trusting her voice after the spook that the Captain had unintentionally given her, Ororo nodded. Although it had shelter to keep the rain off, it was open on the side and she knew it would be just fine. She did not speak nor even look at Logan.

"Then I'll just go get the cots," he said. He headed off to get them, noticing that she was following behind him at a distance. He didn't force her to come any faster or to even enter the sleeping quarters. He just gathered two of the cots and headed back. He didn't know why she was spooked, but he knew she was. As he came back to the door, he noticed 'Ro standing there, looking into the sleeping quarters as though she was staring into the gaping mouth of Hell. "What's wrong, little darlin'?" he asked, deep concern in his face.

"I . . . I do not get along well with small, enclosed areas," she admitted slowly, biting back a shudder at the memories that were flashing through her mind. Her hands trembled slightly even as her fingers curled as if to scratch at something.

He walked through the entranceway, carrying both cots, and headed back to their new little hidey-hole. "That's no problem, 'Ro. If you get scared, just let me know, an' I'll try my best to do something about it. In the meanwhile, yer open to the elements." Setting the cots down, he turned to lift her chin and gaze into her eyes where he could see a haunted fear. He ached to protect her and, before he had time to think about what he was doing, had pressed his lips gently to hers.

She had not heard him and had almost become completely lost in her memories when she found his lips pressed against hers. Tingles shot through her at his touch, coiling and spreading through her body like golden rays of the morning sun chasing away the darkness of night. She slowly raised a hand up and gently cupped his face but did not pull back from his kiss. She knew they should not be doing this so soon after meeting for the first time that day, but she was already drawn to him more than she'd ever been to any man before. Instead of pulling away as she knew she should, she found herself deepening the kiss that he had began.

He felt himself melt into her, and he lost all track of time. She was his only world, and he wanted no other but her.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

Cole shimmered in just as the group at the auction had walked off. He reached up and plucked Carl off of the tent. "Hell of a mess here, isn't it? How did you manage to survive?" he asked Carl.

"Luck?" Carl returned with a grin. "But thanks, man! I swear, I think you must be the only one of this bunch who gives a damn about Gnomes! None of the rest of them would even look at me when I was asking to be let down!" He then let out a low whistle. "But, man, did I have a view of it when Faith ripped off her shirt!"

"I wouldn't advise you touching them, my friend. I know several men who she's cut the hands off of for just attempting. Suppose we walk around and see what we can find? I need to find Xena first."

Carl nodded. "She went that way," he said, pointing in the direction he had watched Autolycus and Xena go off in, "and don't worry. I'm a Gnome, not an idiot. Believe me, I want to keep both of my hands. That kid's sure gonna be in trouble, though."

"That kid's already in trouble," Cole said, knowing who Carl was talking about. "He's always been in trouble. Faith is just a new kind of trouble. We better keep an eye on him."

Carl nodded. "Yup. I didn't think it was only my sniffer telling me that he draws trouble like dogs draw fleas."

"Afraid so, my friend," Cole replied. "We've got a lot of people like that. We just have to keep our eyes open so that we can help them if they need us." He could see Xena just ahead of them, and he yelled at her. "XENA, HOLD UP! WE GOTTA TALK!"

Xena turned around and watched as Cole caught up with her. She looked down at Carl. "Go catch up with Autolycus and help him."

Carl wanted to ask if he had to, but for some reason, he had a strong feeling that he did not want to be anywhere near Xena when Cole told her whatever news he had returned with. Instead, he rushed after Autolycus.

When Carl was gone, Cole looked intently into Xena's eyes and spoke in a still, quiet voice. "She knows. She took it pretty damn hard. She ran off, probably to your cabin. I told you, Xena! You should have told her a long time ago, but no, you had to protect her! Well, the crap just hit the fan! You want me to take you to her?"

"Not till we get through here," Xena said. The news had stung her. "Who was the bloody bastard that told her?"

"It was not intentional," Cole said, "but Jack delegated her the job of putting the new people on the ship. Wolverine and she got into it. One thing led to another, and the truth came out as truth always does."

Not knowing where else to look, Xena looked down at her feet. "She'll hate me now. I did it out of love, but she'll hate me for it. Gods, Cole, I was so scared of losing her! I did my best to protect her! Only she won't see it that way. That's why I never told her. We've got to get through here and get back to the ship. I won't leave before we're finished. Gabrielle won't run away, not until we have a fight, and then I pray she won't leave me. Even if she hates me, it's better than not having her around."

Cole reached out a hand and gripped his Captain's shoulder. "It'll take a while, Xena, but I think things'll come right. Have patience, and have it out with her once and for all. Let her know how you truly feel. Show her the part of you that you keep hidden even from her. If you need a shoulder, I'll be there for you."

Xena's hand reached out and gripped Cole's shoulder. She returned the gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Cole. Let's get this over with." Together they turned back around and headed out for some of the tents to check for survivors.

* * *

There were dead bodies all around, and they thought they would never find any one alive. They glanced over at Carl and Autolycus a few times, noticing that they were busily covering the ground in search of survivors but were also collecting anything of value. It was then that they heard a weak cry for help, and Cole lifted the remaining parts of the tent. Trapped underneath were three half-naked women, chained and cowering together in a tight, shivering huddle. By some miracle, they were not burned.

Xena reached out a hand and helped one to her feet. She was about to reach for another when she felt a hand slide under hers and grasp the woman's, pulling her upward. She glanced up to see that Autolycus had arrived to lend a hand. Fire shot from her eyes as she warned him, "Do not even think of going there."

Autolycus had no intentions of moving on the women, but he only looked at Xena, letting her think what she would. Xena reached down and helped the other one up. There were no other bodies in the hole where the women had been kept, and as soon as the group was out of the way, Cole let the tent drop back.

Autolycus and Carl helped the women to get back to the designated area. The women appeared to be so exhausted that they feared they'd fall out at any moment. When they reached the spot, Autolycus said, "Sit here; rest." He looked around to see if he could find any water for them to drink but did not see any. The women had yet to speak a single word and only continued to stare at them with big, wild eyes that shone with fear and tears. "Carl, you stay with the women, and I'll get back to seeing what I can find."

Carl nodded. "Won't let anything get to them." He sat down on the ground beside them.

* * *

Lex had been talking to Clark the entire time they had been walking. He did not feel safe in pulling the shirt off and was relieved but not surprised that Clark had not asked him to. They came to a tent that looked like it had fallen but not burned, and Lex described to Clark what he was doing even as he let go of Clark's hand and lifted the tent. "There's something under here, Clark."

Lex had barely managed to raise the tent when they were attacked. Something little barreled right into Clark's chest. The surprise of the impact knocked him to the ground. "Lex?" Clark called out in a worried voice as tiny fists futilely pounded his muscular chest. They stopped as soon as they had stopped, however, and Clark knew that Lex had pulled his would-be attacker off.

Lex's hands were indeed full of a furious little package. He wasn't sure if it was a girl or a boy as he was too busy trying to keep it from biting him. He finally threw the kid away from him and yelled, "DOWN! STOP IT!"

Despite the impact of the fall, the kid had been about to launch another attack when Lex yelled at him. The kid stopped for a moment and looked at him. "I won't let you have her!"

"Have who?" Clark asked, drawing the kid's attention back to him.

"What happened to you, mister?" the kid asked, his voice revealing that he was a boy.

"An accident. I can't see."

The boy's gaze traveled between the two men as he considered them for a long moment before asking cautiously, "You're not with them, are you?"

"No," Clark said. "We're here to save you."

The kid reached out and touched him. "You already did save my sister."

"How?" Lex asked.

"They were taking her. They wanted her badly. I was fighting them, but they were grown-ups. We're just kids. That didn't stop them. They had thrown her on the ground and were about to take her when fire came out of nowhere and burned them all up. Thank the Gods for the fire! I think she's okay."

He reached around under a rug and pulled out a child smaller than he was. An ache filled Lex's heart to see the small child. He could not believe that some one was trying to mount _her_! Why, she was nothing but a _baby_! "We're not going to hurt your sister, son," he reassured the boy. "We're going to take you somewhere safe."

"There's more of us, mister." Both Lex's and Clark's hearts almost stopped beating in shock as the boy added, "They're in a cage over there." They could not imagine who would cage children, let alone rape them.

Lex braced himself and looked. He had expected to see children, but his eyes found a cage brimming over with cats instead. There were so many cats in the cage that he could not see how they could even move. "Clark, there is a cage over running with cats."

Clark was relieved that it was not children, but his sorrow for the prisoners and anger at those who had imprisoned them did not lessen. "Well, Lex, you know we have to take them with us."

"What are we going to do with all those cats?" Lex mumbled.

"We can't leave them here," Clark told him. "You know what's going to happen."

"Mister," the boy said, "I can be his eyes. He saved my sister. I don't know how he made the fire, but I know it was him. I saw it coming from him."

"That was the accident that happened to his eyes," Lex told the boy.

"My name is Julian, mister."

Although Clark could not see his love, he knew that Lex was choking on the boy's name for it was the name of the brother he had lost before ever getting to know him. He ached to be able to see him so that he might reach out and reassure him but knew he could not.

"My name is Lex," he told Julian when he had finally recovered enough to speak, "and this is Clark."

Clark reached out a hand to gently touch Julian. "We'll take care of you, Julian," he promised. "You want to be my eyes?"

"Yes, sir. I'll do my best. Sarah, come here," he said. "This is Clark and Lex. They will take care of us."

Clark didn't need his eyes to see that Sarah was terrified for she did not say a word but only clung to him like a small monkey. "You be our eyes, Julian, and I'll carry Sarah."

Julian was happy to get such an important job. He glanced over to see Lex struggling to pick up the cage, but even with his great strength, he could not lift it. Lex fell back in surprise when a voice came from the cage.

"Hey! Let us out of here!"

"You can talk!" Lex finally found his voice.

"Can't you?" a black cat retorted in a smooth but annoyed voice.

"Well, yes, but I'm human!"

"Yeah, well, so was I once upon a time!"

"But you're a cat now?" He sat on the ground and stared back at the cat in shocked disbelief. "Can you get the other cats to come?" he asked hesitantly. "We have to get out of here as quickly as we can. The whole town is going down tonight."

"It's about damn time! This town _needs_ to be burnt, and those blasted bitches should be right in the middle of it!" he spat furiously.

"Bitches?" Lex asked.

"The Spellman bitches. That stupid Council sent me to live with them, but I couldn't stay there! I took everything I could stand off of them, but trying to sell me for _stud service_ to _humans_ was the last straw! They deserve to go down!"

"They _what_! What kind of humans go with cats!"

The black cat shook his head as his green eyes stared at Lex as though he were not even worthy of cleaning his paws. "You really are quite slow, aren't you?" he asked.

"Slow? No, I'm not! I just can't see -- ! You're just so _small_! How could any one want something _that_ little?"

"It's not the size but how you use it that matters. You should know that."

"Yes," Lex admitted, still too shocked to realize the verbal blow that the cat had dealt him, "but you're a _cat_! Humans are bigger than you are! Wouldn't you just fall through!" He was trying to choose his words carefully so that the children would not know what was going on.

Clark could not help but to overhear. What would turn up next? Children so tiny they could almost be called babies and now _cats_! Gods, these people were sick! He no longer had any doubts about the town being destroyed. It was a modern day Helltown and deserved to perish. He only wished it had been at somebody else's hands.

The cat shook his head. "_Look_," he spat out. "I couldn't understand it either, but they did what they did and I'm tired of staying in here! Let us out before more of us die!" he demanded.

It was only then that Lex's attention was drawn to the dead cats that the others were having to stand on top of. He hurriedly broke the lock off with a rock he found nearby. "You'll be safe if you come with us," he told the black cat, "but even if you choose not to come, you can't stay here."

"We'll come with you," he answered. "I only hope you have suitable accommodations," he added with a disdainful sniff.

"Well, we're Pirates, and we live on a ship. There's plenty of room."

"Sounds good to me," the cat answered. "I always wanted to be a Pirate Captain."

"Well, we already have a good one of those," Lex said, "but I'll let him know that you're willing to help him with his job. Now we'd best move."

He started to walk out when the cat's voice stopped him. "There's more."

"Where?" Lex asked. The cat gestured with his head to deeper within another tent, and Lex realized that the tent that had fallen had only been the last in a row that had made up this dreadful place. Picking up his rock, he followed the cat. The rest of the cats walked, hobbled, and crawled as they attempted to make it outside to Clark and the children.

A thought occurred to Lex as he followed the cat. Since it talked, it might very well have a name. "By the way," he asked, "do you have a name?"

"Salem," the cat called back to him. "Salem Saberhagan."

Lex looked at the cat in surprise but did not speak again. As he continued to follow him, however, he could not help wondering why that name seemed so familiar.

* * *

Dawson had followed Faith, and they had entered the front of what looked to be the one remaining shop. It was hard to tell, because all the buildings were in tents. There seemed to be statues everywhere in cat and dog form, but it was the cats that drew his attention the most. They were darling, and he picked up several of them and offered one to Faith.

Faith had been working her way deeper into the tent and had not paid attention to what Dawson was doing. Feeling his eyes on her, however, she turned to see him holding out one of the statues to her. Her eyes flashed at the sight, and her stomach churned as she realized that he unwittingly held several more of them. "You don't want those," she told him, slapping his hands with such force that the statues were thrown from his grasp. They landed on the floor, and she actually cringed as the breaking sounds made her think of the crunching and shattering of animal bones and the memory of a kitten's pain-filled cry echoed in her mind.

"Why not? They're beautiful!" Dawson asked, angry that she had slapped his hands. "Just because you don't want something doesn't mean I don't want it!"

"Look, kid," Faith sneered, closing the distance between them in one long, purposeful stride. "If I do something, I've got a reason for it! Those statues you think are so beautiful? They're made from real cats! Cat bones, cat fur! Some probably even have real kitten eyes!"

He shook his head in denial even as his stomach wretched. "Who would do such a thing -- kill a live animal to make a statue?" He couldn't understand why. "Why?" he asked her.

"People don't _care_. Some might act like they do about this or that or another thing, but _none_ of them really care about anything other than their own hides! Whoever made these didn't think twice about killing the animals, because they _didn't care_! They didn't care that they were _killing_ a live being, because they knew they were making something _pretty_," she snarled out the word, "that would bring them a huge _profit_!"

It was at that moment that Dawson heard a sound of something moving behind Faith. "Look out, Faith! Behind you!" He reached out, grabbing her and trying to move her out of the way of whatever was coming.

Even as Dawson whirled her around, she snatched her knife out. She felt the whistle of wind as a blade passed just over her head and snaked her knife out blindly. It met its mark as it sliced through the merchant's stomach. Blood spurted out, and she knew she had hit something vital as the evil man grabbed his gut, fell to the floor, and did not move again.

It had all happened in a second, and she now found herself in front of Dawson, blood from the man having splattered his bare chest. Without thinking, she reached up a hand and rubbed at it, trying to remove the stain from his white skin. Dawson glanced down at himself even as he reached out toward Faith and pressed his own lips to hers in a heated kiss. He had fully expected her to toss him away when she deepened the kiss and he felt her hands running down his chest.

Dawson had surprised her when he had kissed her, and before she even knew what was happening, Faith had returned his kiss, her tongue sliding past his lips and deepening their kiss. The knife dropped, forgotten, from her hand as her hands ran down his chest. She continued to kiss him and even stepped on her own blade as she pushed him against the canvas of the tent. Her hands slipped further down and then began unbuttoning his pants.

Dawson breathed deeply of Faith. Finally, he was going to get a second ride, and he could hardly wait! Brendan was wrong! His tongue continued to duel with hers as his hands began to run up and down her body, pulling her even closer to him even as her heat threatened to melt him.

She had only unbuttoned a few of his buttons when her fingers slipped into his pants. Her fingertips had barely began to rub his eager sword when her ears caught an unusual sound. She tried to ignore it at first, but as the cats' mewing and dogs' barking became even louder, she slowly returned to herself. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what she was doing. Placing a hand on Dawson's chest, she quickly pushed herself away from him.

"What -- ?" The confused word stumbled out of his mouth. "_Faith!_" His body longed for her touch, and his sword ached for the race that was not coming. "_Damn!_" he muttered. Almost was not good enough! "What's the matter?"

Then he, too, heard the animals coming. That was when he realized that she was right about what she had told him, and he feared it was the ghosts of the animals coming after him. He waited with fear in his eyes to see the monsters appear. Several seconds later, he heard Lex talking, but still no animals had appeared.

* * *

"Keep going; we're almost there," Lex said, hoping that it was true and they would soon be out but instead they came to another open area where dead animals were hung and suspended in the air. He heard more mews and turned to see yet another cage. He knew that one would have been next. He broke the lock on that one, as well, releasing the animals. He glanced around at the torture chamber and wondered where its owner was, knowing that he would like to use the implements he saw hanging around on that owner.

* * *

Faith shook herself. "Sorry, kid," she told Dawson with a shrug of her shoulders that she instantly regretted from the pain that shot through her, "but I don't give second rides." Without another word to him, she turned and slipped through a flap in the tent that opened to another. She ducked just in time to avoid being hit in the head with a dog's swinging carcass. "Watch your head and your gut coming in here, boy!" she called back.

Dawson entered, not knowing what to expect. The blood and the cloying scent of death lingered in the air to the point that he didn't know if he could keep the bile down or not. What kind of monster ran this place? He knew it had to be a monster even though they had just killed what apparently was the owner. "Do you think we got the owner? What kind of monster could he have been to cause this?" Dead animals hung suspended in the air for as far as he could see. Blood dripped from some of their jugular veins, and Dawson's stomach churned even more as he saw the blood being caught in jars. His skin crawled with the intensity of the scene that was all around him.

"The worst kind," Faith called back to Dawson. "Human!" she spat the word. Her mouth was still open to say more when a weak meow met her ears. Faith looked up at the sound, and her eyes grew as round as saucers as she looked at the cat who still breathed shallowly. She had heard about the ones who were hung while still alive and left to die on the ropes, but she had never before encountered one.

To see the cat clinging to life in its last few seconds as it swung before her was bad enough, but as its faint blue eyes looked into her own eyes, she remembered another cat. Her skin paled, horror and fear filling her face, and she looked as if she was about to cry as a memory of the only being who had ever truly gotten close to her flashed through her mind. "Oh Gods!" she breathed. She did not want to have to kill the cat, but for the moment, the Lewis sisters did not even register and she feared she would have no other choice but to put it out of its misery.

Dawson reached out gently and held the rope even as his right hand cut the rope with the knife that Brendan had given him. "Catch her, Faith!" he called to her. Faith reached out instinctively at his voice and caught the falling cat just in time. Together they lowered the kitty to the floor. Once they had her on the floor, Dawson looked at Faith. "What can we do to save her?"

Faith was already shaking her head at his question. One hand lingered on the cat, but her other pulled out the knife that she had picked back up and slid back into its hiding place in her boot before leaving the first tent. She gripped the knife even as she looked up at Dawson, tears stinging her eyes. "We can't . . . " she whispered to him, her voice trembling even as she cussed herself for her weakness. "There's only one thing we can do, and that's end her suffering . . . "

Dawson shook his head in disbelief. "There's got to be more. We've got to do something, not just . . . " His voice trailed off. If it had to be done, he'd do it and not make Faith do it. He was just about to reach out and take the cat when a male voice split the air.

"Hold off, Dawson. The Lewis sisters can help the cat." Lex was about to ask Faith why she didn't think about the Lewis sisters when he saw the look on her face and did not even speak a word to her. He had never seen her so distraught. He hadn't even thought it was possible.

Tearing his eyes from Faith, he returned his attention to Dawson as he instructed, "Look for others. I'll take this one outside. Cole should be back by now. He can shimmer her to the ship."

Lex very gently picked the cat up and was about to take her away when he heard Faith. "Luthor, if you tell anybody about this," she knew she did not need to indicate what it was and that he would know she meant her foolish, weak emotions that she hated herself for, "I'll gut you."

"Don't worry, Faith. I'll do what I can, but I won't tell anybody." The cat seemed like a very fragile shell in his hands, and he toted her outside, blinking for a moment when the sun hit him full in the face. He glanced around hopefully and finally spotted Cole.

Cole, knowing that he was needed, rushed forward and took the kitty who seemed as though she was about to wilt and completely die but still managed a weak meow. Lex told him, "Get her help and return. There may be more." Cole nodded and shimmered.

* * *

Arriving at the Witch, Cole laid the fragile life at Celina's feet. "There may be more," he said as he shimmered out.

"Goddess!" Celina breathed even as she dropped to her knees before the cat. She chanted in an alien language and held her hands out to the cat. The warmth passed through her and into the cat, slowly reviving the small feline. As she became healed, Celina turned her head to look for her husband. "Morph, you heard him. Go get Katrina! We may need her depending on how many he brings!"

"Tom," Morph said, looking at his friend who Celina had not even noticed, "you'd best tell Katrina and get moved over here to the Witch. I'll help you."

Tom nodded, and the two raced from one ship to the other. As they headed down into the sleeping quarters, Morph held back as Tom went to wake his wife. He shook her gently while calling her name. "Katrina?"

Katrina opened her eyes and gazed into the face of the man she loved. "What's wrong, Tom?" she asked.

"Well," he spoke slowly, forcing a grin onto his lips, "I've got good news and bad. The good news is that we finally did it, love of my life," he threw the phrase in in hope that she would go lightly on him.

"Did what, Tom?" she asked.

"We get to move over to the Witch. You can finally be with your sister all the time again!"

"But why, Tom?" Katrina asked. "What did you do to Jack?" She knew instantly that it had be something with the Captain, because he had been so adamant about keeping them there in case of attack.

"There's a new healer," Tom tried at first, "so he doesn't have to have us over here any more."

"And he just let us go to the Witch out of the goodness of his heart? Yeah, right!" she said, sitting upright. "What did you do?"

Tom hung his head, not wanting to see the anger that would come into her eyes. He had never been afraid of Jack, but he did fear upsetting his beloved. "I put cat's claw in his rum."

"_TOM!_ You _didn't_!" she said distressfully. "You could have made him impotent!"

"I only used a little bit, just enough to make him sick from the rum, but not any long-term effects. Besides, Katrina, you said it yourself! Somebody had to do something," Tom defended himself, "and nobody else would!"

"Did it work?" she asked hopefully.

He sighed, still not raising his eyes to hers. "I don't really know, but I doubt it. I had to try, though."

"It's all right, husband dearest," she said as she touched her nose to his. "I wanted to be with Celina, but I didn't want to leave Jack high and dry. He's been such a help to us. I just wish we could help him."

"We could try more cat's claw," Morph suggested from the steps.

"No more cats' claw!" Katrina commanded. Returning her attention to Tom, she asked, "Did you apologize?"

"No," Tom admitted, "and I'm not going to. I did it to help him. I'm sorry if it upsets you, sweetheart, but I absolutely refuse to apologize for attempting to help a friend who's too foolish to help himself!"

"Not foolish, my dear," she reminded. "Just heart-broken. His nightmares are so awful, and the pain in his heart is so great! I wish there was something that we could do to help him, but we can only watch and wait. There will come a time."

Tom looked up at her, questions shining in his green eyes. Nightmares? Pain in his heart? What did Katrina know that he didn't? He wanted to ask, but remembering Celina reminded him that they might well not have the time. Lifting one of her hands, he kissed it gently. "Katrina, love, I know you're tired, but we've got to get over there to the Witch for more than just that. You're probably going to be needed. It looks like the group that went to help Jack with Will found even more than they suspected. It looks like they found a . . . " His voice trailed off. Just what could he call such a place?

"A murder shop from Hell," Morph supplied.

Katrina nodded, gathered her stuff quickly, and handed several gunny sacks of things to Morph and Tom. "Then let us be over quickly. There's no telling what has already occurred." She led the way to the Witch.

* * *

Dawson was trying hard not to let Faith know that he was very upset with her for the way that she had treated him but not for the way that she had almost come unglued with the cat. He was now making his way slowly around the tent, checking the hanged bodies, cutting them down, and laying them to one side. Their blood ran down, mixing and mingling with the blood that was already on his body. He did not even know how much was his own blood.

He had not been surprised to see Lex, but he had been surprised at the entourage that came with him. Able-bodied cats were following in his wake along with Clark and two kids. The cats had spread out, sniffing for other survivors, when suddenly one of them opened their mouth. "There's one right here!" a black cat called.

Dawson was frozen to the spot and his eyes glued to the cat. The cat was talking! He raced over to the cat, looking at it in stunned awe. "You can talk?" he asked.

The cat shook his head in disgust. "Why does every one find that such a marvel? Of course I can talk! Now get that cat down before I put a claw in your rear, son!"

"Yes, sir," Dawson said, "but cats usually don't talk." He cut the cat down, easing it to the floor and calling for Cole. Cole gathered this one up and shimmered it to the Witch, leaving it laying at Katrina's feet and returning instantly to the shop.

Katrina knelt down and ran her hands just above the kitty, praying to Bast and chanting. The cat grew well, got up, and scampered off to join the other rescued animals that Cole had already been shimmering in.

* * *

It did not take them long to canvas the room, rescuing those they could, cutting the other dead ones down, and laying them side by side. All in all, they rescued six cats and one little dog from the hanging bodies. Cole shimmered each of the tiny bodies to the Lewis sisters and returned to the shop. The Lewis sisters healed each as they were delivered to them.

Dawson, meanwhile, got to wondering where Faith had gotten off to. He went in search of her only to find her sitting between two piles of dead animals and holding one of the dead kittens, rocking back and forth and talking to it even as her hand lovingly stroked its bloodied fur. Damn! Dawson thought to himself. I've got to get her out of here! She needs to breathe fresh air and see the ones that were saved.

"Faith?" he called to her as he walked up to stand beside her. "Let me have this one. We have saved a few, and we are ready to go." He reached down and gently took the animal from her. Only then did he see her tears. "Faith?" He stroked her hair with a bloodied hand. "Sorry for all the blood." She still had not responded to him, and he reached down, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. "It's time to go home, Faith," he said gently.

"No," she whispered in a small voice, trying to pull her hand out of his. "I can't. I don't have a home."

"Yes, you do. The ship. She's waiting for you. I'll take you home."

"Ship?" she asked, confusion crossing her face. She blinked, trying to see past the tears, and as she made out his face, the sight of Dawson brought her slowly back to herself. "Damn!" she muttered, realizing what she had so foolishly allowed to happen.

He was glad to see her returning to her normal self; he didn't know what to do with a weak, docile Faith. "Ready to go?" he asked.

She scrubbed at her eyes, furious at herself for crying. Her fingers left blood behind in their wake, but she did not even notice it. She nodded instead but added, "But don't you dare tell any one about this."

"Why would I?" Dawson asked. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"The Hell it isn't! I wish I could rip out these damn eyes!"

"Stop talking like that, Faith." He wanted to add 'You're scaring me', but he didn't. "The little ones will need you. Let's go." He had not released her hand and began to pull her back to where the other people were when she suddenly dug in her heels.

When she snatched away from him, Dawson was stunned. She ran from him, and he followed until they reached the body of the dead shopkeeper. She still did not speak as she picked the corpse up, turned, and started to drag it back the way they had come. Dawson picked up the feet without a word. He didn't know where they were going, but whatever Faith wanted or needed to do, he'd help her. Together, they strung the man up, still not speaking. When Dawson turned, however, she was gone again.

"Watch out!" she called to him. He moved out of the way, not knowing what to expect, and almost screeched when a hook came flying out of nowhere, landing in the gut of the guy they had just strung up. She filled the corpse with hooks that she kept throwing at him as though he was a target. Dawson got out of the way and went back to where the other people were, sick to his stomach.

"Thought you were bringing Faith back?" Carl piped up questioningly.

"Don't ask!" Dawson said and ran outside the tent where he threw up. "She'll be here in a minute," he said when he finally returned to the group.

Lex was glad that Clark could not see what had happened, but he was sorry that the children saw it. "Time to go," he called out, trying to force cheer into his voice and almost succeeding. He'd tell Clark most of it later but not where the kids could hear. Clark followed Julian outside where Cole waited.

Cole looked around, waiting for all the others to get back to the designated area where he began to shimmer them, one at a time, back to the Pearl. When he returned the last time, Faith was waiting. She was covered in blood that he didn't dare even ask about. "Ready?" he asked, and at her nod, he shimmered her home to the Witch.

He appeared before the Lewis sisters, leaving Faith and telling them that she was the last one. He walked away without looking back, allowing Faith a chance to get some healing if she wanted it. The Lewises looked at Faith, and Faith looked at them, neither of them wanting to make the first move. Finally, Katrina asked, "Will you let us help you?"

Faith shook her head. She wanted to be flippant with them, but as she could see that they had healed the animals, she knew she could not be . . . not quite yet, any way. "I don't need anybody's help," she retorted instead and turned away, heading down into the sleeping quarters instead.

Katrina watched her as she left, wishing that there was some way that they could breech her defenses and that, by some miracle, the girl would let them help her but knowing that it was likely never to happen. Celina, looking up at her sister, shook her head. "It's no use even thinking it, Katrina. I'm only surprised she didn't cuss you out like she always does me."

Katrina nodded. "I think she was glad we helped the animals, but I wish she'd let us help her."

"I'm surprised she even cared," Celina admitted, "but she did . . . a lot."

* * *

Xena arrived outside her cabin door and was not surprised to find all of her stuff thrown outside. She tried the handle, but it was locked. She knocked on the door, calling to Gabrielle, but no answer came. She rushed the door with her shoulder only to find that not only was it locked but barricaded as well. "GABRIELLE," she yelled, "LET ME IN!" She hollered and called her name until she became hoarse, realizing that Gabrielle could hear her but that she wasn't going to let her in.

Inside the cabin, Gabrielle continued to scribble furiously on a scroll. Tears ran down her face and dropped onto the paper, smearing her ink, but still she continued to write. It seemed that Xena would simply not get the message and go away, and finally in sheer desperation, Gabrielle called back to her, "WHY DON'T YOU GO GET WOLVERINE! IT'S HIM YOU WANT, ANY WAY!"

Xena motioned to Cole. "Get me in there!" Cole shimmered her in quickly and then just as quickly shimmered back out.

Xena glanced around the empty room. "Gabrielle?" she called to the air. She saw the scroll, walked over, looked down at it, and read. Stains from both blood and tears smeared the ink, and Xena's fear grew as she saw the blood. Her lover's words chilled her heart far more, however, as they were full of longing to die because she had lost Xena's love and had no other reason to live.

_I've been almost hung.  
I've been burned.  
I've been left for dead,  
Hurt and bleeding.  
I've lost others I've loved.  
But nothing's ever felt like this before._

No one ever meant to me  
What you'll always mean to me.  
No one ever touched me  
The way you have.  
No one ever brought out  
So much in me before.  
No one ever meant to me  
What you'll always mean to me,  
But no one could have ever hurt me  
As much as you have.

No betrayal could have stung as much.  
No loss of love,  
If ever you did indeed love me,  
Could have hurt so much,  
Could have left me with  
This red-hot pain,  
This empty, burning ache inside.  
Nothing could ever be worse than  
This pain of losing you,  
Of never really having had you.

I would rather have been burned alive,  
My skin flayed from my body,  
My bones crushed while I still breathed.  
I would rather have died a million deaths  
Than ever lose you, ever lose our love,  
But it never existed.

That pain hurts most of all,  
The pain of knowing  
That you never loved me,  
That it was all a lie,  
That every time you kissed me,  
Every time you caressed me,  
Every time we made love,  
You were just acting, just lying,  
Just using me for Gods only know what purpose.

There's not a lot of things  
That we can choose in this life.  
We can't choose who we fall in love with  
Or make them love us in return.  
We can't choose rather or not to feel,  
To be loved or to be hurt,  
But we can choose  
To end that pain.

And nothing could be worse  
Than this pain of losing  
The love I only imagined,  
The love you only pretended to give to me.  
I'll never know why,  
But at least,  
this pain will sto Tears so filled Xena's eyes that she could not even tell that Gabrielle had not completed her final word. Hearing the whistling of the wind, she looked up at the open window her beloved had escaped through even as she bit back the sob that rose in her throat. She had to get to her! She had to stop her, some way, some how, for she knew that if she did not do so soon, the love of her life, the one woman who meant more to her than anything else ever had or even could and who she would have given her very soul to protect, would take her own life. "Gabrielle . . ." The miserable whisper of her beloved's name echoed in the cabin.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

"DAMN IT!" Xena yelled. "COLE, GET ME OUT OF HERE AND TO GABRIELLE!"

Cole shimmered in, grabbing Xena. Sniffing the air, he carried her straight to Gabrielle who stood on top of the ship's railing, her back to them. The sun glinted on something silver, and they realized that she had her sai pressed to her bosom.

"Gabrielle?" Xena called in a quiet voice. "What are you doing? You want to kill both of us? If you do that, you kill both of us. Maybe I don't deserve to live, but you do. You're the best part of both of us. I love you! Please don't do this!" She wanted to rush forward and grab Gabrielle but knew that Gabrielle would be quicker than she.

"Xena," Gabrielle's voice trembled, "stop lying. There's no more point in it. I know what you did. I know who you chose. I just don't know why you bothered to lie about it. Why toy with me? Why lie to me? Why make me think you loved me when it was him all along?"

Xena's voice came steady and true. "I've never loved any one like I love you, Gabrielle! That's why I lied -- to protect you! I didn't want you endangered. If you were killed in battle, it would have killed me too. I would die a thousand deaths if it would spare you one instant of pain! _That's_ why I lied! _That's_ why Wolverine became my second-in-command, because after the Captain, they go for the second! If I had known for one minute you would have hated me for it and would have misconstrued and thought I wanted _Wolverine_ . . ." she said, her voice turning to one of disgust as she spat his name. "For Gods' sakes, baby, I _never_ wanted any one but you! But I wanted you to be _safe_! Can't you _please_ forgive me?" She was down on her knees, oblivious to any one and anything except Gabrielle.

Cole wondered for a minute if he could shimmer and stop Gabrielle in time. It hurt him just to be close to these two. Their pain was so intense yet their love was even greater. "Gabrielle?" Xena called to her, waiting for her to forgive her or condemn her for all eternity. Cole closed his eyes; he knew he could not interfere. He shimmered away from them.

Slowly, Gabrielle turned to face Xena, hoping and praying to see the same truth in her face that she heard in her voice, but as she turned on the railing that they had both walked on countless times before, her booted feet suddenly slipped. She threw the sai to one side even as she fell forward, bracing herself to hit the deck only to collide with a softer body.

In one breath-taking move, Xena had flown from her knees to catch Gabrielle in mid-air. She slid her slowly down her body even as her lips sought hers, her heart beating a hundred miles a minute. It had scared the heck out of her, but she had seen Gabrielle throw the sai away. Did that mean she was forgiven? She prayed that it was so even as Gabrielle returned her heated kisses.

* * *

Cole shimmered directly in the path in front of Piper Halliwell. He surprised her so much that she dropped the load of dishes that she was carrying, and he barely caught them. "Sorry about that, Miss Piper. Can I carry these for you somewhere?"

Piper's bosom heaved as she tried to calm herself. "Cole!" she exclaimed. "How -- !" She shook her head in amazement.

"I'm a Demon, and that's how I get around. I had to get away from Xena and Gabrielle. They were having a very strong exchange and needed to be alone. I mean you no harm."

"Well, I know that," Piper assured him with a smile, "but _you're_ a Demon?"

"Well, half any way. I didn't mean to scare you." He smiled at her, thinking she was more beautiful every time he saw her.

Her smile grew with his explanation and smile. "That explains it; you're too handsome to be a full-blooded Demon." She blushed a deep red as she realized the words that had slipped out of her mouth. "I mean -- well, hum -- I know that sounds prejudiced, but I never met any Demons before today and I thought they were all kind of like Lorne. Not that he's ugly, because he's not. Just . . . just different . . . "

He could not believe she thought him handsome! His smile grew even brighter as his heart sang out, She likes ya, boy! Move on it, but his mind refused to move any faster for fear of the knowledge that he could scare her to the point that she would never want to see him again. "Huh, Miss Piper, the dishes?" he asked, glad that he had something that he could talk about.

"The dishes?" she asked in confusion. "What about them?"

"Where can I put them?"

"Oh. In the kitchen, of course. Do you guys even call it a kitchen?" she asked, that thought having just occurred to her.

"It's called a galley, ma'am." He headed straight for it with the dishes and set them down on the table. "Are you finding everything okay? Do you need help of any kind?" He was having trouble coming up with a mundane topic, because all his mind wanted and kept telling him was, Kiss her, you fool, before somebody else does! He desperately wanted to but was afraid of her reaction.

"If it's not too much trouble," she asked hesitantly, "I could use some help getting the supplies moved in here and set up. Lorne was going to help, but I understand there was some kind of problem with a wolf not liking his pants or something . . . "

Cole laughed, and Piper's heart warmed at the deep, throaty sound. "You could say that. He should be over in a minute, but I'll help you until he comes. He had to change his clothes. He's all right now, but I wouldn't ask him about it." He walked back out, picked up another load, and brought it in. "Where do you want this put?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Where do you think the ship's chef would want them?"

"Oh, you're the ship's chef now, ma'am. We really didn't have one, just somebody filling in. Captain Jack's been off his diet for a while, and I don't think Captain Xena's eaten much either. Can't blame either of them. Autolycus and Joxer are awful cooks. I don't know where they're at or why they aren't here yet. I had brought them in a little while ago. They've had time to get here to help. They're supposed to be your kitchen helpers."

She looked at him curiously. "Did one of the Captains tell you that? I haven't had a chance to ask, what with everything else that's been going on."

"I'm third-in-command over here. They don't care who's in charge of the cooking as long as something get's cooked that's edible. I haven't had a real chance to talk to either of them yet, but I know they'll both clear it. We've been without good food for so long that it's ridiculous, and it's not because Captain Jack doesn't buy the best supplies either. He does. It's just what those two goonies do with the food. It should be a crime!"

He then began to show her around the galley and introduce her to the equipment she'd be using. "This is the oven, but I don't know how to use it. I can light it for you if you want. This is our cooler, but it doesn't really keep things cool." He opened the door to reveal a small, dark chamber. "It'd work better if we had some ice, but it melts about as fast as we get some, so we don't get much of milk and eggs," he said longingly. Cole simply adored good food, and he hadn't had any in a long time. "We can put any kind of food you want in these cabinets," he said as he opened the doors. "Just make it the way you want it to be."

Piper was grinning from ear to ear. She loved her mother and grandmother but had always wanted her own kitchen. Now, it seemed that one had practically been dropped into her lap! "Well, it sounds to me like you are all in desperate need of a good meal."

"That we are, ma'am; that we are. Can't remember when the last time was that we had one. Maybe when we were at Derek & Hansel's. They both cook good. They're in Tortuga."

Piper smiled at him even as she reassured him, "Well, you won't have to wait for Tortuga to get good food any longer. Just as soon as we can get things set up, I'll get to work, and I promise you a good meal."

They heard voices and looked up only to see Lorne finally arriving. "Sorry, Miss Piper, but I had to hunt for a pair of pants. I don't have much clothes. Somebody had my pants, and a wolf ruined the pair I had on." He was eagerly anticipating learning to cook.

"If you still have the cloth or something else I can use to patch them, I could fix them for you," she offered, not daring to ask about the wolf. Who would have such a beast, any way?

"Why, thank you, ma'am. I'll bring them the next time I come, and the wolf gave me back the cloth."

Piper's mouth fell open at that. "The _wolf_ gave you _back_ the cloth?" she repeated in disbelief.

"Yes, ma'am. She's a very smart wolf, and she was only protecting her mistress. She didn't mean me any harm personally, but she sure took a bite out of my butt! Then her mistress even healed it!"

Piper looked at Lorne as if he had two heads. A wolf being apologetic for biting a Demon, even a kind and gentle one like Lorne, and then her mistress healing said bite was just too much for her to take in. Piper nodded slowly, reminding herself to shut her mouth so that the men would not think she was a complete idiot, but did not know what to say.

Cole looked at Lorne. "Give me a hand out here with the supplies, and it won't take us long."

"Sure," Lorne said. Between the two of them, it didn't take long.

Once the supplies were put away, Cole lit the oven, showing Lorne and Piper how it was done. "You put the firewood down here," he said to both of them as he opened the lower door, "and the firewood's just outside the door. It'll take a while to heat up, so you'll have plenty of time to prepare. I've got to go hunt for Jack; I've got to tell him something." He was going to tell him all about Xena and Gabrielle making up; he knew he'd want to know. "If you need me, call me," he said and shimmered out.

Piper stared at the place where Cole had just stood. "Do you ever get used to that?" she asked Lorne.

"Not really. That's not one of the powers I have," Lorne said. "In fact, I don't really have any powers as such. I'm an empath. I listen to people sing, and I can see their future sometimes. Not really powerful powers, unfortunately." He smiled at her. "I'm sure looking forward to this; I always wanted to learn to cook!"

"Then it's time we got started," Piper told him with a grin. "I suggest a simple recipe first, something we can make as a sort of appetizer for the crews until we can get the whole meal done."

He rolled up his sleeves and looked at her eagerly, waiting to be told what was to be done.

* * *

Wolf and Elvira had finally reached her house only to see that it was on fire. Wolf's hackles began to rise. "Don't tell me we've gotta go in there!" he said in a high-pitched voice. "Wolves and fires just don't mix!"

She knew he was terrified, and her heart felt for him. However, she also knew that she didn't have much of a choice. Turning away from her house and to him, she told him, "I have to go in there, but I won't ask you to."

"You know I'm not letting you go in there by yourself! Just make it quick! Don't slow down anywhere! I can almost feel the fire smoking my bones!" His voice came out nearly in a howl.

She placed a gentle hand on the side of his face and reassuringly stroked his cheek. "I understand," she told him, "and honestly, Wolf, you don't have to come. But I have to at least get that Book. That damn thing won't burn. Believe me. I know, because I've tried to burn it in the past."

"I'm coming, dear heart. I'd never allow you to go in there by yourself." He nuzzled her. "Whither you go, I go."

Delicious chills shot through her, and she leaned into his nuzzling. "We could just wait for it to burn down and stay out here," she said, barely able to think for the emotions he inflicted in her. Her black fingernails gently kneaded his chest even as she added, "But then if something happens to my dress, I'll have to run around naked until I can get some more from Delvira."

He looked carefully at the house. "I think if we go in this part and run, we can beat the fire. I don't want you running around naked for others to see, only me," he nipped her on the neck, bringing a squeal of pleasure from her black lips.

"Wolf," she purred to him, "if we keep this up, we're never going to make it in there."

"Go, and I will follow you," he said, releasing her.

Elvira nodded, but although he released her, she still had to force her body to pull away from his for every part of her screamed desperately to be one with every part of him. She yanked at the hem of her skirt, and it pulled away to reveal a bodysuit. Folding the cloth in her hands to beat against the fire should they need to, she ran into the house.

The minute she had slipped out of her skirts, revealing her long, lithe legs, Wolf had howled. She burned him worse than the flames were threatening to! He had to have her soon! His tail was jerking and would not stay in his pants. "Soon," he promised. "Soon." He dived into the burning house behind her.

* * *

Elvira's long, pale legs streaked out in front of her as she ran for her bedroom. Once there, she grabbed the Book from her dresser before running over to her closet. She threw the door open to reveal a row of dresses exactly like the one she had on. She snatched a few of them and grabbed her cape before turning back. She frowned. "I'm missing something."

"Yeah, me," Wolf said with a snarl as he moved up to her, wanting those long legs wrapped around him. It was driving him almost mad with desire. "I . . . want . . . " He was breathing heavily. " . . . you!" he concluded as his lips fell upon hers.

As his lips touched hers at long last, she found that she could withstand the burning inferno he had built inside of her no longer. Her Book and clothes fell to the floor as her hands grabbed him, fondling every part of him that they could reach. As she deepened their kiss, her tongue quarreling with his, her arms wrapped around his body, bringing him even closer. Her hands dropped in search of his rear but instead found his tail; without hesitation, she stroked it with the fur.

He howled even as her hands stroked him. "I'm going to die if I don't have you soon!" he roared. "The big, bad wolf has got to eat, and the little wolf is hungry too!"

"Then eat me now!" She tore her lips from his to sink her fangs into his neck.

Wolf almost came on the spot before his mind cleared at the snapping, crackling fire that was getting ever closer to them. Holding her close, he whispered, "We've gotta get out of here. The fire's getting closer." He reluctantly let her go.

Though he released her, she did not release him. "Do we have to?" she mumbled from around his neck even as she slid one leg up and cradled the bulge in his pants.

The back part of the house fell in at that moment. "Soon, my darling!" he promised. "We have to get out of here!" He scooped up the Book, the dresses, and the cape from the floor only to realize, as he stood back up, that she wasn't there. "ELVIRA!" he screamed. The smoke-filled room kept him from seeing her.

"I'm just grabbing my tassels!"

"Tassels?" he asked even as she rejoined him, dangling something in her hand.

"Yeah," she grinned up at him. "They're something you can play with later."

"Promises, promises, baby, but I want to play with you the most." He didn't even know what tassels were.

"You can play with them while they're on me," she purred lustfully to him.

Holding the Book and clothes in one hand, he grabbed her with the other one and almost flew out of the house just as it finally crumbled to the ground, burning. He found an alley just behind the house, and he released her long enough to drop the stuff to the ground. He moved in to nuzzle her neck. His heat rose in his loins, and he felt his member stiffen even more. He had to have her and soon!

"Wolf," she gasped out between the nibbles and licks she rained over his neck and the sighs that he brought forth from his nuzzling on her own, "do we _have_ to go to the ship now?"

"No," he said even as he grasped at her clothes, trying to strip her naked. When the clothes finally fell away to reveal her glistening body, his mouth moved immediately to her breast where he nibbled and sucked her. His hands roamed over her body, finding her secret place and touching her there.

She arched in his hand, and her gasp of thrilled delight echoed in the alley. Her hands moved to his chest, and her fingers tore blindly at his shirt, her nails bursting his buttons as she fought to get the annoying cloth off of him. He stepped away from her a moment, pulling his clothes off swiftly and revealing himself in all of his full glory. He was afraid Little Wolf would scare her as it stood swiftly and boldly, welcoming her and quivering for her attention. He knew he was bigger than normal males; most wolves were. He would be gentle if she needed gentle, but his body was crying out for wild. He started to move back toward her.

Her black eyes glistened with excitement and longing even as they feasted upon his mighty sword. Her body tingled as it ached so desperately for his that she could stand it no longer. Without warning, she ran at him and leapt into the air. Her arms and legs reached out for him, her arms wrapping around his strong shoulders and her legs entwining around his body even as she lowered herself upon his steed.

Little Wolf shot home immediately as though he had at long last found the perfect anchor. He howled even as he filled her completely. He thought the excitement would make him come immediately, and he fought to keep it down, wanting to make it good for her. He bore her to the earth, never losing contact, and began to pump madly into her as though Little Wolf had a mind all his own. He hoped he was not hurting her, but the screams that came from her mouth were of pure delight.

* * *

They were wild together! Wolf had never known such pleasure. Somehow, each time he almost came, something stopped him. He wasn't sure what it was, but it built the excitement even more. His tail twitched madly, but he ignored it as his mouth once again found her creamy breast and he gave it the long-needed attention it so desperately craved.

Her fangs nibbled his neck as hungrily as though she had never drank; indeed, he was the best she had ever experienced in all ways. Her legs were still wrapped around him, and she tightened and squeezed around him as he pumped into her.

When her fangs sank into his neck, he felt himself cumming, and it felt as though it would never stop. He howled again and again, her screams matching his howls. Her nails raked his back before grabbing his tail once again.

It was the most wonderful experience Wolf had ever had! He hated to think it might never happen again, especially as he wanted her again just as badly as he had just had her. He just couldn't get enough of her! He lay on top of her, Little Wolf still embedded in her silky sheath. Her fangs had came out of his neck, but suddenly she began to nibble and lick him again, growling lustfully in his ear. He felt Little Wolf jerk and begin to grow. He had never thought he could get it up again this fast, but he just could not get enough of her!

Her fangs dipped back into his neck, taking a sip here and a sip there, as she marked him again and again as hers. Her hands had never left his tail, and she began to stroke him once more. Her strokes always stayed with the fur.

He felt himself grow bigger and bigger, and he was afraid he would split her in two as Little Wolf again worked with a mind all his own. His mouth moved to her throat, and his fangs bit into her neck. He felt her jerk and held himself still as he was afraid he had hurt her.

Elvira had done a lot of biting, but never once had she been bitten herself. It was the most pleasurable sensation she had ever felt, and her gasp of pleasure caressed his ears like a butterfly's gossamer wings. "Are you okay, beautiful?" he whispered against her skin even then as he licked her skin and blood before nipping her again.

Her breath trembled in delight as she sighed again. "Okay? Wolf, I'm so good I don't even know the word for it!"

With relief, he let Little Wolf have his way again, moving slowly in and out and then faster. He did not think he could go any deeper, but he wanted to. He wanted to be part of her. He raised her up slightly and then pushed in just a little deeper. He was surprised when he went a lot deeper. She was built like no other woman he had ever had, because she was able to take all of him! The sensation that he felt threatened to explode him, but he held on, wanting to increase her pleasure.

When he felt the volcano building to a peak, he sank his fangs into her neck once more. The explosions hit him so hard that he fell over the edge and into the stars, carrying her with him. This time, he was not even aware of her fingernails clawing his back although they drew blood. They remained fully one, his sword filling her sheath completely and their fangs embedded in each other's necks, as they rode the waves together before finally crashing back down into the Heaven they had discovered in each other.

* * *

Cole had arrived just in time to see Jack starting to rummage again for his rum. He did not make a comment on it as he did not want Jack to know what had become of the rum. Jack looked up at him with questions in his eyes. "Xena and Gabrielle have made up; I heard them before I left the Witch. They may be partying by now."

"Good," Jack said with a grin.

"Piper is getting set up in the kitchen."

"Can she cook?" Jack asked.

"Well, she says she can. It's got to be better than what those two goons were putting out. Lorne's helping her."

"Good thing," Jack said. "Make sure she's got everything she needs."

"I hate to tell you, but the time is growing short. Evil approaches. We have several saying this, including Doctor Doom and his new woman."

"New woman?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir. She's a scientist," he said as though that explained everything.

"Well, they should be happy together."

Cole was used to reporting to Jack everything that was going on on the Witch, because even though he was on the Witch and Xena was technically his Captain, Jack was his Captain of choice. He was Jack's inside man, and only he and Jack knew that. "I've got to locate Wolf and Elvira. They have not returned to the ship, and they could be in danger. If you can get a woman to go with you as a decoy, when I return, I'll shimmer you to the Governor's room. It'll be quicker and faster, but I don't want to know what you're doing in there, sir."

"I don't want to know what I'm doing in there until after it's over with," Jack said. "I wanted some rum to handle it with, but there's not any on the whole damn ship! So I'm going to have to go it without it. I'll pick some up while we're out. Report to me as soon as you know about Wolf."

"Yes, sir," Cole said and shimmered out.

* * *

Meanwhile, Prue, after being escorted to the Witch, had gotten settled in and decided to go in search of a little adventure. She had been totally smitten by the man called Brendan Richards. She knew Piper had already marked her a man, though she hadn't even admitted it to herself yet, and Prue was determined not to be outdone. After all, she was the oldest.

She carefully concealed herself in the shadows and began to search out her prey. She watched him walking around, checking on things and talking to other crewmates to be sure that everything was set for sailing. She gave him enough distance that he wouldn't know that he was being followed.

Brendan began to check to be sure that all the ropes were secured. Nothing could go wrong. They had to get out of the harbor. He had not been paying particular attention to any of the people passing around him. All of the newcomers' scents had crossed his nose at different times, and he had not paid attention to them. He was checking on one of the ropes in the northeastern corner, however, when he heard approaching footsteps accompanied by the sweetest scent he had ever smelled. It was vaguely familiar, but he could not place it.

She was determined to get something from him, even if only a kiss. She had managed to sneak up on him when he suddenly turned and sniffed the air. She froze, hoping he wouldn't see her, but as his head turned again, his yellow eyes looked directly at her. She grew bold at his appraisal and moved to stand right in front of him. Quickly, before she could change her mind and run, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled his head toward hers. Their lips met, sending thrills racing down her body that she'd never felt before.

Brendan had been about to ask Prue if he could help her when she had suddenly stolen a kiss. He tried to push her away, but she refused to release him, clinging to him instead. Her kiss was burning him! He longed to be able to enjoy the sensations that swept through him, arousing his manhood, at the first kiss he had ever had, but he could feel the beast within already reacting. His mind was frantic, and his eyes were already on yellow as fur began to grow.

In sheer desperation, he shoved her away, hating to use force but knowing that there was no other way. "You -- You shouldn't have -- " he gasped, trying desperately to rein in the wolf but failing completely as a howl broke forth from his lips and he fell to his knees. "You . . . shouldn't . . . have . . . " he tried again. His nose and mouth enlarged and grew together to become a snout, and his words ended in a howl that echoed out over the dock and across the water.

Prue, who had fallen on her rear, had never seen such before! "What are you?" she asked and watched in amazement as he continued transforming. She was roughly grabbed. She realized that the man called Captain Jack Sparrow had arrived as he told to get out of there quickly and placed himself between her and the monster that had been Brendan. Cole, too, had heard the activity and arrived just in time to knock Brendan on his butt and prevent him from attacking Jack.

"WOMEN!" Jack said, shaking his head. He knew fully well that Brendan had never made the move on Prue but that Prue Halliwell had just made a move on Brendan. Even then, the Werewolf was scrambling to get to his feet. Hating to do it but knowing he must, Jack raised the silver walking stick that he had brought with him and brought it straight down on Brendan's head, knocking his friend out cold. "Damn!" he muttered.

"I'm gone to get Wolf, Captain," Cole said and shimmered out. Jack sat down on the floor beside Brendan with his back against the ship's side. He breathed a sigh of relief as werewolf transformed back to man, but still he waited for his friend to wake up.

* * *

Prue ran as though the Demons of Hell were behind her and did not stop until she reached Piper in the galley. Holding onto the table so that she would not fall, she looked into her sister's face. "He -- He's a wolf!" she finally gasped out.

Piper looked at Prue in concern but did not know what to make of her sister's exclamation. "Who's a wolf?" she asked. "The wolf that bit poor Lorne in the rear?"

"No, I don't think so," Prue said as she pulled a chair out and sat down in it. "He's -- Brendan Richards," she said in a voice of disbelief. "We kissed . . . "

"You didn't!" Lorne interjected. "No wonder he changed! True he's a Werewolf and he can't control it, but he stays away from women so that he doesn't hurt anybody. How'd you manage to kiss?" He could not believe that she had actually managed to steal a kiss from him. He knew Brendan would never have kissed Prue.

"I wanted him!" Prue said. "There was just something about him that seemed to call to me!"

"Hold it right there," Lorne said. "This is women's talk. I'll see you in a little while, Piper; I'd best go check on him."

Piper nodded and took out the seat in front of Prue's. She sat down in it, the food completely forgotten as she turned her full attention to her distraught sister. "Prue, what did you do?" she asked her. "You know better than to kiss a stranger!"

"But I wanted him, Piper!" she protested in a small, quiet voice. "I'm so drawn to him! I've never felt anything like this before! I followed him and surprised him. I kissed him! Then the most awful thing happened! He began to change and _howled_! Then the Captain was there, and he _beat_ him!" She had heard the whack when Jack had hit Brendan. Tears were running down her face. "I still want him! I don't care if he is a wolf!"

"Prue, you don't know what you're talking about," Piper gently told her sister even as she gathered her into a hug, softly stroking her hair as their mother had always done whenever one of them was upset. "You just met the man. I know he's burning you and I know it's hard to control yourself -- I almost slipped up already with Cole --, but he's a wolf. You need to give it time. Talk to him; figure out if you can do anything. You don't want this happening again."

Prue hugged her sister to her as though she was a lifeline, burying her face into her sister's shoulder. "I want him, Piper! I want him desperately!"

"I know, Prue. You might not believe me, but I know better than you think I do. There's one on here who sets my very blood on fire, too, but we don't know what we're getting into. We have to take it slowly, and you're going to have to talk to Brendan eventually, before you make another move on him. You don't want him to change again on you like that."

Prue looked up at Piper in wonderment. "You found some one?" It finally dawned on her what Piper had been telling her. "So why didn't you go after him?" she asked her sister.

"Because I just met him today, Prue. You have to give things like this time. I know it's hard, but it takes it to make sure."

"Too much time, Piper, and somebody else will grab him! That's why I didn't wait! I know I want him, and if I wait for him to come to me, he won't do it."

"Then don't wait for him but don't move on him either. _Talk_ to him. What would you do if you made another move toward him and he changed again, Prue?"

"I promise. I'll talk to him tomorrow if I can catch him." He had been very hard to catch that day, and she knew he'd be more wary and even harder to catch the next.

"I'll tell you what, Prue," Piper said, lifting her sister's chin and gently wiping away her tears. "If you promise me you won't move on him again until you've talked to him and are _sure_ he's not just going to wolf out again right away, I'll even _help_ you catch him."

"You will?" Prue asked with a smile. "Then I promise I'll talk to him and not move on him again until I'm sure it's safe."

Piper nodded. "I will," she promised, "tomorrow."

"So which one is it, Piper?" Prue asked with an impish grin. "Mister Green or Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome?"

Piper had to laugh at her sister's question. "Cole," she admitted, then dared to blushingly make another admission. "I actually told him I thought he was handsome!"

"You did?" Prue asked in amazement. She had never known Piper to move on any one. "And he didn't pick up on it?"

Piper shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't call me on it, at least. But, Prue," she added with a frown, "I think we might both be in trouble. Brendan's a Werewolf, and Cole's a Demon, half any way!"

"We might be, Piper, but I'm willing to face it just to have a chance at getting closer to him. Are you?" She smiled when her sister nodded. "Then we'll work on them together!"

She raised her pinky finger, and Piper hooked hers with it. "Pinky swear," they said together. "They'll never know what hit 'em!"

**To Be Continued . . . **


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

Cole shimmered into the alley behind a burning house that had completely fallen in on itself. He had smelled Wolf and had tracked him there. He appeared and saw Wolf and Elvira falling together again! Closing his eyes, he called out to him. "Wolf, you're late for the ship. We were worried."

"Cripes!" Wolf murmured. "It'll have to wait, sweetheart."

"Put some clothes on!" Cole pleaded. "I have to take both of you back. Let me know when you're dressed." He kept his eyes closed.

Elvira winked playfully at Wolf. "Maybe we don't want to get dressed just yet?"

"Look, Elvira! It's not safe out here, and I can tell you two have been at it like rabbits already! Save it for later! Honestly, how some of you wolves can continually get down amazes me!"

Elvira sighed. "Yeah," she agreed in a throaty voice, "isn't it _wonderful_!"

"I wouldn't know," Cole said. "I've never done it with a wolf, and I'm not about to start now."

"I'm dressing," Wolf said, "but I want you to know that I am objecting strenuously!"

"You can play later, Wolf, _after_ we leave port. The Captain has a little unfinished business, and then this town's going down. He wants you back aboard the ship immediately."

"I swear, Wolf," Elvira commented as she slipped into her bodysuit but did not bother to put any further clothes on, "I think you must be the only one on your entire ship that isn't a party pooper!"

"I might be a party pooper," Cole said, "but I keep my mind on the business at hand." He never saw the raspberry that Elvira shot at his back. "You two can party later." He opened his eyes, relieved to see that they were dressed or, at least, what evidently passed for being dressed in Elvira's case. He reached out, touched both of them on the hand, and shimmered them to the Pearl.

* * *

Dawson went in search of Faith and finally found her in the sleeping quarters. She was sitting on her cot with her naked back turned toward the door. He slipped quietly inside. "Faith?" he asked. "Can I help you? Will you let me help you?" He knew she was hurt and only wanted to make her better.

Faith dropped her shirt, which was darkened beyond black with all the blood from her shoulder. She had been trying to use pressure to stop it for a while but had had little luck. A part of her knew she needed help, but she had never accepted help before. "Why?" she asked him quietly.

"Because I want to. I care about you. I want to make you feel better," he said even as he drew closer to her.

"You don't know what you're talking about. You don't have the first idea what you're getting into here, ki -- " She started to call him "kid" yet again, but for some reason -- she told herself that it was only the pain --, the word wouldn't come out.

"I'm not a doctor, but I'll do what I can. Let me get a pan of water and some cloths. Stay here; I'll be back." He made his way to the galley and saw two of the Halliwells sitting there. "Can I have a pan of hot water," he asked, "and some cloths?"

Piper turned to look at Dawson. She opened her mouth to ask him why he needed it but changed her mind at the look in his eyes. He was deeply concerned about some one, but she could somehow sense instinctively that he wouldn't give up the person's identity. Nodding instead, she rose and retrieved the pot of water she had had boiling on the stove. "I'll make another one," she told him, "and you can have this one." Opening a cabinet, she retrieved a cloth and wrapped it around the handle of the pot before he could touch it.

"Thank you," he said. "I'll bring the pot back later."

Piper nodded and started to reach for more cloths. "How many do you think you'll need?"

"Maybe a couple more," he said and gratefully accepted them. Making his way slowly back, he managed to get back to Faith's side without spilling much of the water. Dawson noticed that her back was scarred but did not say anything. He wondered who had beat the Hell out of her so long ago that the scars were completely healed. He began to bath her wound gently with the water that was now warm. "Would you let one of the Lewis sisters heal you? I don't know how to stitch up wounds, but they could heal you completely. Please, Faith; let one of them look at you."

"Damn it!" Faith growled out. "I knew I should have told you to get fucked!" She jerked away from him, stood, and walked away from the cot. "You're the only one I've ever even considered letting help me, and I was an idiot for doing that much!"

Dawson recoiled from her and was about to say something when he heard a meow. Changing his mind, he said, "There's some one to see you, Faith. A furry some one," he said quickly before she would have a chance to throw something.

"Kid, what the Hell are you -- ?" she started to demand as she turned around to face him. Her angry eyes fell on the cat.

"Meow?" said the cat even as she walked closer to Faith, her green eyes peering into Faith's angry ones. "Meow?"

Emotions flickered in Faith's eyes as they changed from being full of anger to being haunted by sadness. She stepped back from the cat. "You don't want me," she told it, shaking her head. "I'm a bitch; I already got one killed." She nodded toward Dawson instead. "You want him."

"MEOW!" the cat insisted, gazing intently up into Faith's eyes, her black fur shining as smooth as silk. She stood up on her hind legs and brushed at the girl's hand with her head as though to let her know that she was indeed the one she wanted to be petted by.

Despite herself, Faith had to smile. Slowly, she stroked the cat's head, and when the feline did not recoil, her smile turned to a grin. "Hell, looks like you're as crazy as me."

"Meow meow!" the cat said as though it was agreeing with Faith. Standing on its hind legs, she bumped her hand again.

Faith had to laugh. The laughter that came from her was a sound unlike any one on either of the ships had ever heard come out of her for it was truly of happiness. She had not had a cat come to her like this one had since she had been a child, barely old enough to remember the events that had been the first to scar her for life. Slowly, she slid down so that she sat on the floor beside the cat, her hand running from its head down to its back.

Unbeknownst to Faith, while she patted the cat, the cat was working a spell on her that would heal the girl's arm completely. As soon as it was done, she looked up into Faith's eyes again. "Meow meow meow!" It was as though she was saying, "See you soon; gotta go," as the cat then strode majestically out of the room with a backward glance at Faith. "Meow!"

Faith cocked her head slightly to one side. Why, she wondered, did she have the strangest feeling that she had been had? Dawson looked at Faith's arm in wonderment. It was healed. He did not mention it but could not help a smile that she caught as her eyes turned upwards. "What?" she asked.

"You like cats, huh? It appears they like you too."

* * *

Outside, Katrina changed back to her catwoman form. It had worked, and she could not wait to tell her sister! She did not know what she would tell Faith when Faith finally decided to come looking for the black cat, but she would not willingly tell the girl that it had been her. She thanked Bast for the healing and smiled as she caught Celina's arm. "It worked! She's healed!"

"What," Celina asked in wonderment, her blue eyes full of questions, "did you do?"

"Nothing that a little, black cat couldn't handle," Katrina said with a grin. "I hope something works out between the two of them. I like both of them."

"Leave it to you!" Though she was beaming, Celina had to shake her head from side to side in amazement. "Only you would finally figure out how to get a hold of that girl!"

Katrina beamed back at her sister. "A pure stroke of genius!" she had to admit. "I did it! She might not like it, but not even she could find fault with a good healing."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Celina warned her, "but I'm certainly glad you did it!" She hugged her sister tightly, pride swelling in her heart.

* * *

"Yeah, I like cats," Faith admitted, "but they're better off without . . . " She had been standing while speaking, and as she stood, no pain registered. Surprise flickered over her face as she realized that, and she looked down at her injured shoulder only to find that it was completely healed. Not a single drop of blood remained. "Black cat," she muttered under her breath. "Green eyes. Suddenly healed. KATRINA!" she roared angrily.

Just as Faith headed for the door, Dawson tackled her. "For once, Faith, give in and be thankful that somebody cared about you enough to help you!" He held her down, laying on top of her, his eyes gazing down into hers. "You know you're lucky. You've got people on these ships that care about you. I've never had any one who cared about me," he said sadly.

As she looked up into his eyes, she found the most absurd notion taking a hold of her. She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to roll with him again. You know better than that, Faith. Get a hold of yourself and stop being so damn stupid! "That's a bunch of bullshit, Dawson," she growled out at him, not realizing that she had used his name. "Nobody cares about me; nobody's that much of an idiot." She then rolled out from under him.

He let her go, knowing how wrong she was but knowing that only time would prove to her that she was wrong. "I think you're wrong, Faith. You've got a family here, and they care about you a great deal."

"You know, after all you've been through, I'd think you'd know better than that by now. Families don't exist, not in any way other than blood, and that gets you in more trouble than anything else." She had walked over to her cot and was putting on a new shirt even as she remembered his. She picked it up and tossed it to him.

He grabbed it and then looked at it. "Might as well throw this away. Totally ruined."

"I'll steal ya another one when we hit Tortuga. Just don't go anywhere till I can get it."

"Why, Faith? You're afraid somebody will see me naaaaked?" he asked, stretching out the word "naked", with a grin.

She glared at him. "Why would I give a damn who saw you naked? But I'm not going to chase you down to give it to you."

He laughed out loud, rolling onto his back. He had to shake his head at the wonderment that Faith was. She was a crazy woman and child rolled into one, and he was determined to make her his. If it took one day or a hundred years, he would never stop until he could claim her as his own. "I'll make it easy for ya, Faith. I'll stay right where you can see me."

"Didn't ask for a shadow, kid," she told him, now fully dressed once more and heading again for the door. "Don't want one; don't need one. But I do need to get my hands on that conniving catbitch."

Dawson didn't try to stop her this time. He knew he couldn't. "Just remember, Faith. She helped you."

Faith was about to step over him when he said that. Instead, she paused, her foot in the air, as she looked down at him. "Haven't ya learned anything? When somebody helps somebody, they're always after something."

"Not always," Dawson said, remembering Brendan's kindness and that Brendan had not requested anything in turn except that Dawson keep himself safe and out of trouble. "Not every one wants everything they can get out of you."

"Let me tell ya something, kid. I've encountered two of the people that practically every damn body would have told you could be trusted, and neither one could be. I've got the scars to prove it. If you wanna survive in this world, the best thing you can do is count on yourself and no one else."

"I can never be that way, Faith. I need others to be there for me, and I need to be there for some one."

She shook her head. "Then you're going to die a fool."

"Maybe, but I won't die alone . . . " his voice trailed off and he let her go.

She wanted to stay. She wanted to talk some sense into him but stubbornly ignored what her lips wanted to do. She knew better than to stay, however, and took the stairs two at a time. Bursting through the door, she bellowed, "KATRINA!"

Katrina appeared in front of Faith. "Yes, Faith?" she asked in a calm, quiet voice. "Figured you'd be coming once you found out what I did."

"Why?" Faith snarled. "Why the Hell'd you bother?"

"Maybe because I care about you."

"No, _really_, why?"

"Like I said, Faith, I care about you, whether you want to believe it or not."

"Why?"

"We're family, and as family, we take care of each other."

"You know, Katrina," Faith growled at her, "you could have come up with something a Hell of a lot more convincing than that. I don't have any family."

"Nothing's ever more convincing, Faith, than the truth," Katrina said. "One day you'll see that."

"Yeah, but the truth is that I don't have a family, Katrina. You wanna care for your family, you go look up the rest of them. I don't have one."

"Yes, you do," she reaffirmed what she already said. "One day you'll be ready to let us in. In the meanwhile, we'll have to be content to care for you from afar."

"I don't need any one to care about me," she spat. "What I need is to go kill something." She turned away from Katrina and descended back into the sleeping quarters, slamming the door in the redhead's face.

Sadness in her heart, Katrina watched the girl go, hoping that one day she'd let them all in and knowing, just as she'd told Faith, that they were indeed a family and families had to be there for each other even when they weren't wanted.

* * *

Peering through the darkness, Faith shook her head as she realized that Dawson was still laying on the floor. She did not bother to give him a second glance as she ran down the stairs and jumped over him. She walked to her bed and picked up the sword she normally used. She shook her head. A normal blade would suffice for what she intended, but it wasn't what she wanted. She let it crash onto the floor with a clatter, then flipped her cot over.

Dawson jumped as though a bee had stung him. Crawling to his feet, he asked, "What the Hell?", and then saw it was only Faith having what he caught was a temper tantrum. "What's a matter now?" he asked.

"Just looking for something," she called back to him. "By the way," she added, keeping her voice casual, "I've been meaning to ask you something . . . "

"Yes?" he asked.

"How the Hell'd you go from getting deflowered to winding up at that damn place?"

"My Father sold me," he said in a quiet voice. "He's always hated me. He blamed me for my Mother running off on him, and he's mistreated me all my life. He even beat me, and then today, he sold me as though I was nothing! I've done all I can for him ever since I've been big enough to work to help make a go of that store. He never once thanked me, touched me except in anger, and then today, after you left, he decided he wanted to . . . " His voice trailed off. "Use me in a whole 'nother way. When I refused, he beat the crap out of me. He knocked me unconscious, and when I woke up, I was there." He did not look at her the whole time he was talking.

She had been detaching a sword from the bottom of her cot when he had began talking. Her fingers had stilled on the straps as she had listened to him. "You know," she said quietly, "what he did isn't your fault."

"I know that, but I never realized just how much I hated him until I woke up in that place. He drove my Mother away by abusing her. Then he wanted to use me in her place. What kind of father does that to his kid?" He shook his head sadly. "I want to forget about him. I don't ever want to see him again." His hands clenched by his side. "I'm afraid that if I do, I might kill him."

She was not surprised at his words, but she carefully stilled her tongue from telling him that he would never have to look upon his father again. She had managed to keep that quiet but nonetheless slipped up as she returned her attention to unfastening the sword. "I can't answer your question, though, Dawson. I'd like to be able to, but I've always wondered the same thing ever since my Mother . . . " She stopped herself just then, realizing what had slipped out.

Dawson didn't pick up on what she had said. He hoped one day she would feel free to tell him. Maybe they could help each other get through this awful nightmare. He could tell she was preparing to go out, but he did not want to go with her. He had had enough blood and guts for one day. "Be careful, Faith, and come home soon." He had not even realized that he was now calling the ship home.

"Told ya before," she said, finally freeing the sword and setting her cot back down. "I don't have a home."

"I think the ship's going to be mine. I feel welcomed here. Something I never felt before anywhere."

"Better find some place else, kid," she muttered. And she'd better talk to Jack. She attached the sword's scabbard to her belt and made the decision to confront Jack before she left. Without another word to Dawson, she headed back up.

He stood there, watching her go and praying for her safety, before seeking out a cot and laying down. He could not remember a time he had ever been so tired, and his eyes drifted quickly closed.

* * *

Brown eyes blinked open and looked around hazily. Swords hung in various places on the walls, and they were the only bit of familiarity he could see until his eyes fell upon a familiar, perhaps too familiar, face. She sat beside him, her blue eyes shimmering with tears and her blonde hair framing her face as she gazed down at him. "Elizabeth."

"Will!" she gasped. "You're awake! How do you feel?"

He had half expected to find himself dead when he awoke, but much to his astonishment and amazement, Will found that his body did not seem to hurt at all. He was exhausted, however, and could barely keep his eyes open. I must be too tired to feel it, he thought to himself. "Tired," he answered aloud. "Where's Jack?"

"He needed to deal with some other matters," she told him. "There's so much activity on board today, but I can call him if you want me to?"

"No," Will said and slowly shook his head. Although he was having difficulty focusing, he had not forgotten the decision he had made and knew that if he did not act upon it now, he might not have the courage to do so later. "Elizabeth," he said, reaching a weak hand up towards her, "there's something I have to tell you."

"What?" she asked him, catching his hand and pressing a kiss to its back.

He stilled himself from showing the repulsion that fluttered in both his gut and heart. "Please," he whispered, "don't do that."

Confusion creased her brow. "What?" she asked innocently.

"I never wanted to hurt you," he struggled to explain, "and I'll always care for you, Elizabeth, but I can not hide any longer." Her heart stilled, and she knew she did not want to hear his next words. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but I do not love you."

She gasped aloud and drew back from in shock. "Will, no!" she exclaimed. Tears welled in her eyes, and her frantic words stumbled over themselves. "You -- You don't know what you're saying! You're too tired!"

"No," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "I do know what I'm saying, Elizabeth. I'm sorry. I know this hurts you, but I must be true to myself and to my heart. I. Do. Not. Love. You. I never have."

"But why . . . ?" she tried to ask, shaking her head and continuing to look down at him in disbelief.

"I thought I did, but something happened when I set sail with Jack to rescue you. Something happened that I never would have thought possible. I found myself out on the sea, Elizabeth. I found myself. I found what I always felt missing from my life, but I'd never known what it was before. I found out that I'm a Pirate, through and through; that the sea is my home; and most of all, I found . . . " He pressed his lips together and closed his eyes for a brief moment as he stilled himself for her reaction. Then opening his eyes, he looked directly into her eyes as he told her, "And I found the man I love."

"**_NO!_**" Her shout of denial rang throughout the cabin and echoed past its walls. "NO! Will, you're delirious! You don't know what you're talking about!" Tears streamed down her face, and she turned to run from him.

He caught her wrist before she could, however. "Elizabeth, look at me. Please look at me. I never wanted to hurt you, but marrying you, no matter how great a woman you would be for any other man, when I did not love you would not have been fair to either of us." He did not want to hurt her, but he nonetheless tightened his grip on her wrist just enough to bring her gaze unwillingly back to him. "I know this is hard for you to believe, but you must believe me."

"Please, Will," she whispered, her tears increasing and tearing at his heart, "let go of me."

"Not yet," he told her, shaking his head. "I can't yet." He had to make her understand. "Honestly, Elizabeth, I didn't want to hurt you, but it only would have ended up trapping us both in a loveless marriage had I continued the charade."

He breathed a sigh as a thought finally came to him of a way he might be able to convince her of the truth. "Elizabeth, do you remember when Jack sailed away after we rescued him from being hung?" She nodded slowly, and he could tell from the look on her face and in her eyes that she remembered what he had not yet made mention of. "Do you remember how I was crying when you kissed me?"

"Yes," she answered reluctantly with a slow nod. Her voice was so faint that he could barely hear her.

"Do you remember what I told you when you asked me?"

She nodded again but was still having trouble finding her voice for the tears that choked her throat. "You . . . You told me that you were crying for joy, joy that I loved you."

"And did you believe me?" he persisted. "Honestly?"

"No," she admitted with a sigh, the truth finally sinking in. "But I wanted to."

"I wish I could take that back. I wish I would have had the courage then to tell you the truth, because it would have hurt you less than waiting as long as I have has. But you were right then. I wasn't crying for joy. I was crying," he admitted with a deep breath, "because the man I love was sailing away and I thought I'd never see him again."

As the truth sank in, she trembled at the realization that the man she loved loved another. She did not hate him even then. She did not throw the ring he had given him at her; she did not even think about it. She did not curse him or even slap him. Instead, as he released her wrist, knowing that she finally knew the truth and trusting her to keep it to herself, she ran from the cabin as if it was Hell itself and the Devil was trying to ensnare her. Her tears blinded her as she continued to run.

Will's sigh echoed in the room where he had been left alone. His shoulders sagged as he dropped back into the unfamiliar but comfortable bed. He had done it. He had finally broken it off with Elizabeth and told her the truth. But how, he wondered even as sleep claimed him again, would he ever have the courage to face Jack with the truth? How could he ever tell the man he loved, who he knew would never love him in the same way, how he truly felt for him, that he loved him with his entire heart and soul, that his lips thirsted for his, that his body ached desperately for his? And what would he do when Jack turned from him in disgust and his only chance for a happy life with the man he loved was gone forever? What would he do?

* * *

Lorne sniffed the air until he located Jack. Making his way slowly toward where the scent was coming from, he finally came upon Brendan laying out on the floor and Jack sitting beside him. Jack seemed to be lost deep in thought and did not stir as Lorne first came up. "Captain?" Lorne asked.

"Don't ask," Jack said. "Women are more trouble than they're worth. I had to stop him. Gods knows what he would have done to Miss Halliwell had I not!"

"Miss Halliwell's in love with him, sir, or at least she thinks she is. I had to leave the galley, but I heard some of her words as I was leaving. She'd probably be the best thing for him, but Gods knows what kind of trouble lays between them! I'll sit with him till he wakes." Lorne knew Jack had other problems on his mind and that he had to be about attending to them.

"Thanks, Lorne; don't leave him until he wakes up. He'll be disoriented. Tell him I'm sorry." He reached out and gently stroked Brendan's head. "I don't know what's been happening between Brendan and me lately. Seems like every time I turn around, I'm asking him to forgive me. I guess it's true that you only hurt those you love."

Lorne knew that Jack loved Brendan as the younger brother he never had. They watched over each other even when they were fighting.

Jack slowly got to his feet. "Well, I'd best get changed before Cole returns. Thanks, Lorne," he said again and headed off for his cabin. Suddenly, he was almost knocked from his feet by a running figure. He managed to catch her, realizing at the same time that it was Elizabeth. "Elizabeth? Is Will okay?" he asked, his voice showing deep concern.

Elizabeth nodded but did not speak. She choked back the sobs that rose in her throat even as tears continued to run down her face.

He lifted her chin and reached in his pocket for his handkerchief. It was a lacey, silky thing and not worthy of much of anything. He gently wiped her tears away. "What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes looking deeply into hers. "Did some one say something to hurt your feelings?" He hated to see women cry but most especially when he knew them and cared about them. He was at a loss until she could tell him what was wrong.

"Oh, Jack!" Elizabeth wailed, throwing her arms around him and desperately clinging to him. "It's so awful!" She managed to slowly gasp out an explanation even as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Will . . . He . . . He just . . . He just broke off our engagement!"

He hugged her gently. "The boy is distraught, my dear. If you had been through what he's been through today, you would probably not have made it, but he's built of stronger stuff. He survived but not without cost. Give him time, and I'm sure he'll change his mind again. I've seen how he looks at you. I know he loves you. He's just afraid now, and deep down, probably associates, in his mind, what your father did to him with you. He's not thinking clearly." He continued to hold her gently.

She shook her head fiercely, her long, blonde hair shimmering down her back as she did so. "No," she cried out, "that's not it! I thought it was at first, too, Jack, but it's not!"

"What did he say he was?" he asked her in a steady, calm voice, patting her on the back.

"He . . . He said he loves another."

"Have you ever seen him look at another woman? Think, Elizabeth! The only woman I've ever seen him look at is you, and he makes cow eyes at you every time he looks at you!"

Remembering who it was that her beloved truly loved, she pulled away from Jack's embrace. She did not move any further from him but had difficulty forcing her eyes to meet him as she told him slowly, "It's not another woman."

Jack had to smile at that. "I've never heard anything more far-fetched than that, Elizabeth! What better thing could he come up with to get you to leave him alone than to claim he loves somebody else and that's it not even a woman! Please, Elizabeth, use your brain, not your emotions! You've got to give the boy time. I could never see him with a man." He had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. Gods, if it were only true, he thought, that he loved a man and were he that man! He'd never ask for anything else for himself again, but he didn't dare to believe it.

"I am using my brain," Elizabeth snapped, her eyes blazing up at Jack despite the tears that still filled them, "and time isn't going to do any good!" She sighed, realizing she had bitten his head off though she had not meant to. "Jack, he explained everything. There's been . . . problems all along in our relationship, and he finally told me the truth about them all. He used to cry whenever we kissed, and now I know why."

"Elizabeth," he said softly, "a man can not always perform though he would love to. Some men can't for one reason; some can't for others. Will's a virgin. It will be his first time. Don't you think he's scared to death? I can't remember when I was a virgin. I think I was eight, but I've been having problems lately, as well. I think it's got to do with my diet and lack of rum. You've seen women passing by and slapping the fire out of me. Well, the only one of those I actually deserved was Anna Maria. The rest of them were just mad at me, because I couldn't perform. A man will use anything for an excuse, especially when he's failing the woman he loves." He paused to give her time to say something.

"He doesn't love me, Jack!" she exclaimed the moment he gave her a chance. "I wish he did, but he doesn't! Didn't you hear what I said! I didn't mention his not being able to perform, as you call it! What I said was that he _cried every_ time we kissed!"

"Virgin," Jack repeated. "You're the only woman he's ever kissed. Guys pretend to be hard, but we're not as hard as we make out. A kiss with you would be a beautiful thing, and I can see Will clutching it to him as though it were a jewel yet believing himself not worthy of you so he would cry. He would hope you wouldn't know, but how can you kiss somebody and not know if they're crying? You want me to talk to him? He's lost right now."

"You can try," she said, "but you're going to find out the same thing he already told me. That's the same line he originally fed me about his crying, Jack, but there was always sadness in his eyes, never happiness. The first time it happened was when we kissed as you were leaving." She silenced herself quickly before she could tell him that it was he her beloved loved but then spoke instead, "Whoever he loves is on this ship, but it's not me."

"Maybe he loves the Pearl?" Jack said. "I know I do. She's my mistress and my one true love. He seemed to take to piracy rather well. Maybe he was crying for all the missed adventures he knew he'd never have. Let me have a talk with him, Elizabeth. My question to you is this: Do you love Will or are you just infatuated with him? Do you truly love him?"

"Of course I love him," she answered immediately for there was no doubt in her mind that she did, "but that doesn't matter! _He_ doesn't love _me_!" She shook her head in frustration. "You can try talking to him, Jack, but I'm telling you: It's not going to do either of us any good."

He reached out and touched his right index finger to her lips. "Patience, dear lady. Time heals everything. I promise I'll talk to him first thing tomorrow. Just leave him alone for now; get some rest. I've got to go out for a while, and the ship will be moving just as soon as Cole returns. It needs to be outside the port."

She nodded understandingly but did not bother to tell him yet again that she knew his talk with Will would do no good. She wondered for a moment what Jack would think if he knew he was the one who Will truly loved.

Releasing her, Jack continued on to his cabin. Once there, he quietly entered, walked over to the trunk that was at the foot of his bed, and began to rifle through its contents. Will was asleep, or at least so Jack thought, and Jack was quiet as a mouse as he did not want to wake him although he kept stealing glances at him. From the looks that kept flashing over his face, he could tell that he seemed to be deep in sleep and having a bad dream. In truth, however, Will was continually stealing glances at Jack but quickly shutting his eyes every time the pirate moved to look at him.

Finally, Jack located the outfit he was looking for: black pants, black shirt, and a black hat. He pulled them out of the trunk and carried them over to one of the chairs that was in the room. He sat down in it, took off his boots, and began to change his clothes. He heard a sharp gasp from behind him, but as he turned to look back at Will, he found that he was still asleep. With a shrug, he turned back to changing his clothes, never realizing how desperately Will was fighting to keep from looking.

Jack's mind was on what he was about to do, and the only woman he could think of who would help him in his quest was Faith. He knew she had intentions of returning as well though she had not told him so; he had a good ideal what she was going to be doing but would not interfere. He felt whatever heartless bastard had sold the kid deserved it, too.

He felt the ship begin to move and realized that Cole had returned with Wolf and Elvira, a woman he had yet to meet. He hoped she'd be good for Wolf. He desperately needed an anchor who could hold up to him and settle him down some. He usually ran after every woman while he was in port, trying to find one who could match him and came away saddened.

He pulled his hair back and bound it. He decided to keep the same sword he had used earlier that day. It was a perfect slice and dice sword and that was what he was planning on doing. He put his hat on his head and looked back one last time at Will, who seemed to be resting better now. Then he went out the door in search of Faith, never hearing the sigh of relief that echoed after the sound of the door shutting.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	22. Chapter Twentyone

**Chapter Twenty-one**

Jack stood on the railing, balancing precariously, as the Pearl made its way out of the harbor and passed the Witch where upon he leaped onto the deck of the Witch. It was at that moment that Faith exited the sleeping quarters, and he could tell from the expression on her face that she was already angry. Then again, he thought, when isn't she angry?

Faith had been about to make her way over to the Pearl when she saw Jack standing just inside the railing. She began to head towards him the very instant she saw him, and her glaring eyes cut through him even from that distance. "I've gotta talk to you!"

"I need to talk to you too, Faith. I need a favor," Jack replied. "I know you don't do anything for free, so name your price."

"Don't know or care what it is," she answered without hesitation, her eyes looking up into his even as she folded her arms in front of her chest. "There's only one way I'm doing it."

"And what is that?" Jack asked.

"You get that damn kid out of our crew."

"Done," Jack said. "I need you to play a woman."

She quirked a brow at him. "What the Hell do I look like?"

"I mean, a woman of the street," he said, grasping for words. "I need you to pretend to be all fired up for the Governor and unable to wait. Get him to come to his room, dismissing his guards. That's why I said to wait until you heard what it is to name your price. Is that all you want?"

"Jack, you know me enough to know that I don't have any problem luring his fat butt to his bedroom to get slaughtered. It'll be kind of fun actually," she admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "But I want that kid gone. I don't care how you do it as long as you don't hurt him. Just do it."

"He won't be here when you get back. Are you ready?" Jack asked even as he heard Cole come up behind them.

"Captain?" Cole asked.

Jack continued looking at Faith. "Faith?"

"Ready whenever you boys are."

Jack, looking at her face, suggested, "Maybe you should freshen up a little before we go?"

Cole remained quiet. He knew better than to say anything to Faith and feared that Jack had bitten off more than he could chew at that comment.

She again quirked an eyebrow at him. "You sayin' I'm not hot enough now?"

"No. I'm saying you've got blood on your face, and it might turn the Governor off. It might look like he had beat you up." He quirked an eyebrow back at her. "Then again it might turn him on, but it'll still draw the guards' suspicions."

She made a scoffing noise in the back of her throat. "You know damn well that I could turn him on, blood or no blood, but give me a minute and I'll get it off." Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed off for the sleeping quarters.

Jack turned to look at Cole. "Don't hang around after you've taken us. I don't know how long it's going to take, and you don't need to be a witness. Thank you for everything, Cole. I know I don't get around to thanking everybody for their contributions, but without each and every one of us, we'd all be at a loss. If something should happen and I don't make it back by dark, get everybody out of here. I don't know what evil is coming. It keeps getting stronger all the time. Even I can feel it. I want my family out of here."

"You're welcome, Captain," Cole said. "You know Angel and I will protect them, but I don't like the ideal of sailing without you."

"If I'm not there with you, it'll be because I can't be," Jack said, "but you've got to keep them safe, even the kid that Faith wants gotten rid of. She's not going to find it so easy to get rid of him." He broke off talking as he heard Faith coming back.

* * *

As Jack had talked with Cole, Faith had returned to the sleeping quarters. She took the stairs two at a time, thinking that she was alone and that Dawson had moved off somewhere, until she reached the beginning of the cots. It was only then that her eyes adjusted enough that she was able to see that he was indeed still there, stretched out on a cot that he had placed next to hers. "Great," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. "Just what I would've needed to wake up to in the morning: a lovesick pup."

She moved to her cot and quickly washed her face with the pot of water and cloths he'd brought down from the galley. As she stood, she glanced back at him and was surprised to find that her breath stilled in her throat. He seemed so innocent, laying there, and she knew that, despite everything he'd been through that day, he still was. He needed to get out of there. She knew it was the best thing for both of them even if she would not allow herself to admit the tinglings of emotion that stirred within her at times like then when she looked at him.

Shaking off her thoughts, she headed quickly back up into the daylight. As she exited the sleeping quarters again, however, she found that no sunlight hit her. Looking up at the sky, she saw that the dark clouds and snow had completely blotted out the sun. She shrugged and, without another thought to the weather, headed back to where she had left Jack and Cole.

"Ready," she called to them the moment she could see them again. As she reached them, however, she looked up at Cole. "Take it you're shimmering us in, Demon boy?"

"Yes, ma'am, and right away," he said as he reached out and touched her and Jack simultaneously. Seconds later, he had them in the hallway outside the Governor's bedroom. He had been there before, but he wasn't sure which bedroom belonged to the Governor. "Be safe," he whispered to both of them as he shimmered away and back to the ship.

He was at a loss as to what to do with himself while he waited for their return to the ship. Only then did he remember that they had not completely taken on provisions and set about to do just that for both ships. Half of it would have to wait to be delivered until they had rejoined their sister ship. He shimmered from shop to shop, appearing only long enough to grab what was needed and disappearing before any one could even try to stop him. He continued the process, returning to the Witch after each shop and leaving what he had taken on her deck.

* * *

Xena and Gabrielle had been lost in each other for some time, their tears intermingling with the sweet tastes of their lips, when Xena finally ended their kiss. Her blue eyes continued gazing deeply into Gabrielle's green ones as she spoke, "We are long overdue for a talk, Gabby. I didn't mean for it to go on for as long as it did, but I was scared. I didn't want anything to happen to you, and I knew that if any one attacked the ship, they'd go for my second-in-command after me. Wolverine was a tough, old bird like I am and agreed to be my second-in-command. In fact, he welcomed the challenge."

"I am not ashamed to say that my love for you clouded my judgment, but I am ashamed to say that I didn't talk to you about it and kept it a secret for so long. You know me. I'm not good with words, but the chance of almost losing you scared me to death. I barely made it to you! Please promise me you won't try anything like that again! I don't want any more secrets between us."

"There never should have been any secrets between us, Xena. I still don't understand why you couldn't just tell me," Gabrielle answered, shaking her head. "You should be able to trust me, but you didn't. I can't promise you that I'll never try that again, because we don't know what lays ahead of us and if I were to lose you, I wouldn't want to live."

"As I would not want to live if I lost you. I swear to you that is the _only_ thing I have ever kept from you. I wanted to protect you, and I never realized until today that you don't need protecting any longer. You're as strong as I am, and that scares the Hell out of me. I was proud of you in everything you've ever done, but I never accepted the fact that you had grown up to be such a strong woman."

"How could I not?" she asked her. "Xena, you taught me, and you're so much more to me than just the woman I love. You've always been my role model, but even that and being my soul mate doesn't even begin to cover it. You're everything to me, and I learned from the best."

Laying on her back and gazing up into her beloved's eyes, Xena said, "I promise I will never keep any more secrets from you and that I will _never_, _ever_ try to keep you from reaching your full potential. You are my love, my life, my reason for being . . . and I will love you and be here for you forever."

"As long as we're together, Xena, I promise I'll never try that again, but you," she continued, lovingly stroking Xena's face and hair, "have _got_ to stop being so afraid for me. I know it's hard. You're the strongest woman there is, but I still fear for you every time we're in battle. We always will be afraid for each other. We can't help it, because we love each other and it's only natural to be afraid for the one you love. But think about this: Even if I wasn't your second-in-command, we're still together. If any one attacked us, they'd see that if they stopped to watch for just a moment, and if they did, they'd go for me over Wolverine any way."

Xena shook her head. "Never thought about it that way, Gabby. Like I said, we need to talk more, but not now. Now I want to make love to you," she continued, caressing Gabrielle's cheek and her touch sending tingles shooting through her lover's body and soul. "I want to show you with my every action just how much I _do_ love you and that you are _everything_ to me." She reached up and pulled her down to her, and the breath of her last words brushed across Gabrielle's lips before she touched them with her own.

Their kiss began gently, but its passion quickly grew. Although Xena did want to show Gabrielle just how true the words she had sought so hard and long to find and tell her were, she also couldn't wait any longer. There was just something about fear that ignited her blood. When she slayed, she had to get laid, and when they fought like this, she could never wait to make up. She rolled Gabrielle over on her back and buried her tongue in her mouth.

* * *

They took turns opening the doors and peeking inside to see what was in each of the rooms that lined the hallway. At last, Jack opened a door to a room that looked masculine in its furnishings. He figured that it was the Governor's room, and motioning to Faith, he let her know he'd be waiting in there.

Faith nodded to Jack, and even as he went into the room and closed the door behind him, turned and began to walk in search of the Governor. The halls were long and suspiciously devoid of activity. She had no ideal that the Governor had given most of his men the afternoon off so that they might make sure that the auction was a success and kept her guard up at all times. As she walked, she made note of the portraits that hung on the walls and the suits of armor that lined the corridors, thus creating a mental map of her path so that she could find her way back when the time came.

Finally, after what seemed like forever to her, she heard voices. Turning another corner, she spotted two guards standing in front of a tall set of double doors. She did not try to hide but instead walked closer, swaying her hips seductively from side to side as she did so. The guard on the right noticed her first and called out sharply, "Halt!" She gasped, pressing a hand to her arched bosom and stopping still in her tracks.

The left guard had now turned his attention to her, and she could feel their eyes feasting on her figure. "I haven't seen you around the mansion before. Who are you?" the first guard asked.

"I'm just a present for the Governor," she told them innocently. Drawing her lips down into a pout, she added, "They told me that I was supposed to be a surprise for him. They _so_ wanted to cheer him _up_," she breathed, still pouting seductively at the guards, "after what happened with his daughter's wedding this morning. That's why they wanted me to be a surprise, but they told me that the guards would be expecting me."

The guards glanced at each other suspiciously. They hadn't heard anything about a woman being sent to the Governor. Had the morning guards simply forgotten to tell them, or was she a trap of some kind? "I'm sorry, ma'am," the first guard spoke again, looking back at the raven-haired beauty, "but we can't let you in."

"Oh _no_!" Faith cried out in distraught, a hand flying to her mouth and her dark eyes shimmering as if she was about to cry. "And I _so_ needed the money! I was even hoping to get in a little overtime with some of the guards like yourselves."

Again, the guards exchanged a glance, and again, it was the one on the right who spoke. "How much do you cost?" he asked her, eyeing her openly.

"I'm usually two hundred pounds, but I'll cut my rate in half and give you two boys my best at the _same_ time for only _fifty_ each if you'll just let me complete my job with the Governor first. I'd really _hate_ to have to go back to Bob and tell him that I couldn't get in because somebody else didn't do their job." She shuddered and shivered, and fear clouded her eyes as she whispered, seemingly to herself but keeping her voice just loud enough that she knew they'd be able to hear her, "Why, there's no telling what he'd do!"

The two guards exchanged a final glance, and then, with a shared nod, they turned back to her. "All right," the leader of the two finally relented. "We'll let you pass."

"Really?" Faith asked hopefully, her eyes looking pleadingly up at them even as her breasts drew taut against the tight fabric of her black leather bodice.

He nodded again. "Long as you stay true to your offer."

"Oh, I _will_!" she exclaimed, sashaying up to them and quickly closing the distance between them. "Why, with two such _handsome_ and _strong_," she purred the words as her hands reached out and stroked their armored chests in promise of things to come, "men like you, it'll be my _pleasure_!"

The first guard reached out his free hand and stroked the small of her back. "You know, we could leave our posts for a few minutes."

"Ooo," Faith moaned, wiggling under his touch and running her fingers up to stroke his lips, "that sure would be _great_! Buuut," she trailed out the word reluctantly, "I'd better do my job first."

He nodded in understanding, released her, and opened the door. Several voices had been talking at once, but all stopped the very second the door opened. "What is the meaning of this interruption!" the Governor bellowed. His thunder died in his throat, however, as he looked up to see the woman standing in the doorway.

She leaned in the doorway, one hand pressed to either side of the frame and her breasts arching so that they seemed to be aching to jump out of her bodice. Her lips curled up into a slow but wide smile as the other men's gazes followed the Governor's and each sat staring at her, seemingly transfixed. Men! she thought. They're all the same. It's all business until a hot woman shows up, and then every thought but their dicks goes jumping out of the window! Her face showed no sign of her thoughts as she moved into the room, walking with the same seductive sway that was so natural to her and made every head turn.

Their eyes followed her body as she strode slowly around the room before coming to a stop in front of the Governor. His eyes, huge with lust, looked up at her, and the way his lips moved told her that he was trying to talk but could not quite get the words to come out. "Governor," she purred to him, reaching out a hand to cup his face, "I know you're in a meeting, and I am _so_ sorry to interrupt something as important as it must be to hold the attention of a man such as yourself." Her hand had trailed slowly down the side of his face and neck as she had been talking and continued running down his torso. "But I've been ordered to report here. You see, I'm here as a _present_," she concluded, feeling him twitching under her touch and then jerking straight up as her fingertips caressed the top of the bulge in his pants, "for _you_."

The Governor did not stop to wonder who had sent her. In fact, he did not stop to think about anything except for the fact that there was a gorgeous woman standing in front of him, willing and waiting to be taken by him alone. Even now, as her fingertips rubbed the tip of his sword through his pants for everybody in the room to see, his eyes were not settled upon her face but rather upon the two luscious breasts that hung down in front of him, just inches from his mouth, begging him to take a bite. His mouth watered at the sight, and his hands itched to grab her. He could feel the others' eyes upon him and, for just a moment, considered declining her offer. It was then that her fingers pressed down harder on his member.

Reaching up, the Governor started to pull Faith into his lap. She did not struggle against him and even let him press her body against his. In fact, she leaned into his embrace, pressing her breasts tightly against his chest and letting his mouth linger against her bare shoulder. "Not here," she whispered so close to his ear that her hot breath tickled his skin and her tongue licked his lobe. "I can't do _half_ the things I can to you without a _bed_, and I don't work as good with an audience as I do _one_ on _one_." She could feel the Governor shoot up at her whispered statement and was glad for the clothes that kept him from succeeding in embedding in her at that very moment.

"To my bedroom, then!" the Governor excitedly commanded. He slapped her on the rear, and she arched her breasts against him before sliding slowly off of his body.

He watched her rear twisting from side to side as she walked to the doorway. Standing there, she looked longingly over her shoulder at him. "Don't be long," she purred to him, her lips turning back to the same seductive pout she had used on the guards.

"I'm right behind you!" the Governor exclaimed, jumping from his chair and quickly running after her. He did not give a single second's worth of attention to the complaints that rose up in the room all around him but continued after his present. Faith stayed just ahead of him, luring him steadily closer to his room and disappearing around each corner just as he turned onto the hallway.

She was at the door to his room when the Governor finally turned onto the hallway where his bedroom was. She winked and blew a kiss at him before slipping into the room and quickly shutting the door behind her. Glancing to the bed, she saw the lump she expected and knew was Jack. Without hesitation, she ran silently across the room and climbed out of the window. Her hands had barely disappeared from the ledge when she heard the door open again. She grinned, knowing that the Governor was about to get exactly what he deserved. She would have liked to have hung around and watched it happen but had her own heartless bastard to take care of. Dropping to the ground, she hurried off in the direction she figured she would find Dawson's father's store.

* * *

Angel was watching over the new woman, but his mind was on Cordelia. He thought he had never seen a more beautiful woman and wondered just how to go about courting her. After all, she was a Princess and was used to all kinds of Knights in shining armor, but he was about the furthest thing one could get from a Knight. He knew that. He also knew that he was poor and had nothing to offer her except a heart that didn't beat but was full of love. He wondered how she'd take it when he told her that he was a Vampire. If she ran screaming into the night, he'd have to follow her and make sure she didn't hurt herself, but then he'd have to step back away from her and not make her feel that she was threatened.

The woman seemed to be quiet. She was pacing angrily up and down in the cell, but he knew the cell would hold her. After all, it had held him, Brendan, Wolf, and even the cats during some of their worst moments, and although they had all tried desperately to get out, it had always been in vain. Doctor Doom had made the cell. Angel figured it would probably last until the end of the world and whoever's unworthy hide was inside of it would not be able to get out even then.

"Crys, are you hungry?" Angel asked.

She turned at the sound of his voice and raised her head to look up at him. The dark look that shot from her ice blue eyes was so fierce that it could have killed a lesser man. "Why should you be concerned over that?" she questioned him. "You have me locked in this cell, and for _what_! Healing your Captain's friend!"

"No, ma'am, you're locked in there for your own protection. I've been locked in there before, and it was for my own protection."

"I do not _need_ to be protected!" she snapped, her tone even making Elvira cringe. "What I _need_ is to get away from this ship full of ungrateful wretches!"

"Ma'am, we are _extremely_ grateful for what you did for Will, but we just can't let you go running back in to that town. It's not going to be here in a little while."

"I am _fully_ aware of that," she returned. "What you and the others do not know, however, is that my healing that man may well have been for naught! You think you are protecting me, but what you are doing, in truth, is endangering everybody aboard this vessel!"

"Ma'am, we're always in danger. It's just a fact of life we live with. We're Pirates, and every one wants us."

"You may think that to be so and it may even be to a certain level," she replied, trying to force calmness into her voice, "but you have never drawn the wrath of what will come after you if you do not release me!"

He looked at her eyes. "What makes you think that you have the power to destroy us? We're not some helpless old people, and we're not what we seem to be."

"I know," she cut him off, looking him dead in the eyes. "You're a Vampire."

That surprised him. How could she know he was a Vampire as he had not made that common knowledge? "Well, since you seem to know that," he said, "you should also be aware that there are Werewolves and Witches aboard. We're all good at protecting ourselves."

"But not against a force of this magnitude."

"We've been against evil beings many times. The Pearl even had ghosts with living skeletons aboard it. They almost did us in, but we fought and finally defeated them. What is this force you keep talking about, and why do you think it's coming after you?"

"I do not think," she answered him. "I _know_, but I can not tell you why nor what he," she did not realize her slip until the word was already out of her mouth, "is. However, you _must_ release me! You may have gone against the Devil himself, but you've never fought anything _anywhere near_ this magnitude. He can kill you and all those you hold dear with a _single thought_!"

"But he hasn't managed to kill you yet. How is that?" Angel asked.

"Because I've been _lucky_," she spoke the word with great disgust on her tongue, nearly spitting it. "He has killed others before, though, to get to me, and he will _not_ hesitate to do so again!"

"Ma'am, you're in a good place. He will have a hard time finding you. We have already left the port and are anchored now, waiting for the Captain to return. We are far enough out that the town cannons can not hit us. It will not be long, and we will be even further out. Anything trying to get to you will have a Hell of a time locating you. You will be safe, but I can't let you out of there until the Captain returns. He has given us an order to keep you safe in there, and only he can countermand his own order."

She glared at him, and her voice came out almost in a hiss. "You are not listening to me!" she cried. "The ship is not safe! I am not safe! _You_ are not safe! Nobody here is nor will they be as long as you have me aboard!" She paused, looking at him thoughtfully and then asked in a quieter, calmer voice, "Isn't there _any_ one here you care about? Any one you love who you do not wish to be hurt, not to mention _killed_!"

"There are many here I care about, ma'am, but I can't let you go. I happen to agree with the Captain. I think you're safe in there."

She folded her arms before her chest even as she announced, "Then you are a fool and condemn all those you claim to care about to death!"

"Ma'am, you're giving me a headache, and your arguing's not going to get you anything. I'm going up. I will send another guard down. I have to make sure everything's okay on the ship." Without another word, he headed upstairs. The minute he reached the doorway, he looked out to see if he could see either Joxer or Carl. Surely they could handle this one job without screwing up?

He spied both of them at the same time. "Joxer! Carl!" he called. "I need you for guard duty. Go down in there," he said when they came up to him, "watch her, and don't let her out. Be careful. She's smarter than both of you together. Watch each other and make sure the other one doesn't make a mistake and let her out."

"Yes, sir," they replied in unison. Then Joxer added, "I'll make sure she doesn't get out of there, Angel."

"Joxer, don't pull your sword out," Angel told him exasperatedly. "You could fall down and hurt yourself on it." He did not approve of Jack letting Joxer even carry a sword, let alone actually pull it out and try to fight with it. Joxer would be more apt to hurt himself than anybody else.

"Okay, but if she tries to come out of there, I'll have to get my sword."

"You're really going to hit a woman with a sword?" Carl asked. "Tell another one, Joxer!" He walked ahead of Joxer, hating the fact that he had been assigned to duty with him.

"Lead on, shortie!"

"I might be short," Carl said, "but I'm not an idiot and I don't bumble every job they give me! They just pick on me 'cause I'm little."

"Maybe," Joxer agreed, "but I don't know who the idiot you're talking about is. It can't be me. They want me to work for them, because they all hope that some of Joxer the Mighty might rub off on them!"

"Dream on," Carl said just as they came to the place where the cell was and saw the beautiful woman within.

Then they saw the animals. "What the Hell is _that_!" Joxer demanded, his eyes bulging out at the sight of the one who was perched atop his mistress' shoulder.

"A dragon," Carl said, his own face showing his disbelief.

"You mean those things really exist?" Joxer asked.

"Guess so," Carl replied. "I believe I'm looking at one. And I've heard they love to eat Gnomes," he glanced at Joxer, "and bumbling idiots."

Joxer started to answer him, but Crys, having listened to their conversation, smiled at her opportunity. "That's right," she told them, "and he is hungry. We haven't had any real food in Gods know when." She stretched a hand out toward them even as Blue, already having realized how deeply upset he had made Crys and having been the first of the trio to realize his mistake in trusting the wolfman, shifted his wings. "Wouldn't you boys _please_ come closer?"

"No, thank you, ma'am. We're close enough," Carl said. "Angel said to watch and not to let you out."

Her smile grew as she continued to play her role. "What a smart man he is." She frowned at them as she added, "There's only one problem."

"And what's that, ma'am?" Joxer asked.

"He doesn't know what he's dealing with when it comes to us." Her eyes had already been narrowed as she had began to concentrate. She watched as the men before her shivered. The taller one wrapped his arms around himself. The Gnome's mouth opened to speak, but no sound other than chattering teeth came out. "Sorry, guys," Crys told them truthfully, "but I'm afraid your friend hasn't left me with much choice." It was then that they hit the floor.

Her smile vanished, her mask dropping completely as she was left alone with her animal friends. She glanced at the wolf and lioness as she spoke to them, "I'll deal with you two later. Right now we're getting out of here." She gripped two of the bars, and ice spread swiftly from her fingertips. As soon as the metal had turned completely to ice, she stepped back. A single flex of her fingers sent the ice shattering, and she stepped calmly through the hole that was left in its wake.

* * *

When Jack had first entered the Governor's room, he had walked around searching for hidden weapons or anything that the Governor might be able to use as one. He had found several swords and a couple of dueling pistols with white pearl handles. He thought they might be worth a pretty doubloon or two, so he wrapped them up in a blanket that he found in one of the closets and laid them to the side. Any one not expecting them would not see them.

He opened an armoire and rifled through its contents. Hidden under the underwear, which he flicked away with his sword, he found two leather bags filled with gold coins. He added them to his treasure. They would be a nice surprise for Elizabeth. He feared she did not have any money at all and, being alone, would be grateful for anything. He did not want her to be beholding to any one.

His mind kept flashing back on their brief conversation. What man aboard the Pearl could Will be interested in? He shook his head. It couldn't be a man, but perhaps the ship herself had intrigued his friend? After all, was he not hooked on her, as well? Was she not his mistress, his home, his freedom? He would check it out when he returned, and he knew just the Gnome to look into it. If he found such a man, he would certainly walk the plank, because no man who could entice Will would remain aboard the Pearl as long as he was the Captain! If Elizabeth didn't want him any more, perhaps Will would join his crew and he would be close so that he could watch him even if he couldn't touch him.

He heard noises in the hall and made a mad dash for the bed. Sliding under the cover, he lay perfectly still. He heard the door open and peeked out just enough to see Faith hauling it for the window. Then he heard the Governor enter. He glanced at him and saw that he was looking around the room.

Spying the lump in his bed, the Governor rushed over to it. "There you are, my little chickadee!" he said as he pounced upon the lump. As quick as a flash, Jack rolled out from under the covers.

Standing and facing the Governor, Jack raised his sword to the Governor's throat. "What in the Hell is going on!" the Governor demanded furiously, his bloodshot eyes staring at Jack in disbelief. Jack allowed him to get to his feet, and as soon as the Governor was on his feet, he ran for one of the swords that he thought was hanging on the wall. "What do you think you're doing in here," he demanded, "and where is that whore who led me here!"

"Long gone," Jack said. "She did what I paid her to do: lure you in here."

The Governor had gone quite ashen in the face. "If you're here to rob me, best be done with it and get out of here!" His mouth opened to yell for the guards.

"I wouldn't do that, Governor, if I was you." He was hoping Faith had taken care of the guards, but if she had not, he still did not want the Governor's mouth yelling. "I am here for payment of a different kind," Jack stated. "You have tortured and enslaved many and got away with it, but when you dared to lay your filthy paws upon Will Turner, _that's_ when _I_ come in!"

"Oh, that's _rich_!" the Governor said. "_You're_ protecting the little blacksmithy? Why? You couldn't stand that he was going to marry my daughter? That makes two of us, because I just couldn't stand him," the Governor said through gritted teeth. "That filthy no-good son-of-a-pirate thought to lay his _unworthy_ hands upon _my_ Elizabeth! I have better plans for her! Therefore he had to be gotten out of the picture.

"Now come, Captain Sparrow, I know you're a reasonable man. I will offer you the contents of a certain chest I have full of gold and rubies to keep this matter quiet. Will Turner is long gone and will not be returning. Besides, you're a Pirate. I know you care for no one save yourself."

"You know very little, Governor. I am not interested in Elizabeth. I could care less about Elizabeth, but Will is a different matter. You had no right to do what you did, and I'm here to make you pay for it. Gold and rubies do not interest me."

He watched the Governor with a slightly amused look as the Governor's wild eyes roamed to the hidden places that Jack had already gotten the weapons from. "You won't find any of them, Governor. You don't deserve any of them. I will give you a minute to prepare yourself, and then I will execute you. I will do to you what you had done to Will: I will show no mercy." He stood at the ready, wondering just how to begin to slice this huge turkey.

"But -- But I have no weapon!" the Governor stuttered out.

"Neither did Will, and what you did to him should not have been done to even a traitor."

The Governor fell on his knees and began to beg for mercy, but he could tell from the look on Jack's face that there would be none.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	23. Chapter Twentytwo

**Chapter Twenty-two**

Wesley had gone in search of Fred to see if she had managed to get unpacked. He found her staring at the crates. "What's wrong, Fred?" he asked.

"Ah . . . Ah just don't know," she answered hesitantly, "where ta put 'em."

"In my lab, of course! Sorry I couldn't get back to you before now. I figured you'd just find it on your own. I should have sent one of the guys to show you to my lab. Come on; I'll show you the way now," he said as he reached down and picked up a crate.

"Are . . . Are ya sure?" she asked shyly. "Ah mean, Ah'd love ta work with ya, Wesley, but Ah don't want ta be a bother."

"You're not a bother. It'll be great having a partner, and there's plenty of room! Xena is very generous; she gave me a room and supplies any of my needs."

Her head snapped up to look at him in wide eyes even as she gasped softly. Her mouth hung open in a small circle for a moment before she managed to speak again. "Your -- Your needs?" Did she even want to know?

"Yes. She gives me an allowance to buy test tubes, chemicals, or anything else I might need for the lab. I'm always working, trying to find some kind of cure or answer to a prophecy. She counts on me. I was kind of surprised when she gave me a whole room to myself, but I've just about gotten it filled up. There's still plenty of room for your stuff, though," he quickly assured her.

Fred was gazing at him with eyes full of admiration as they walked. She knew he believed he was lucky to have his own room and such money for his equipment, but she also knew that he was not the luckiest one. "She's very lucky," she spoke quietly, a light blush tingeing her cheeks, "to have such a smart man as yourself to rely on."

"Well, she doesn't always understand what I'm trying to tell her," Wesley admitted, "but she does have respect for my work. You don't know how important that is. Even Captain Jack has taken an interest in my work, and believe me, he doesn't know what's going on. He gets a kick out of watching the bubbling of the test tubes, though. I try to figure out what's in his mind when he's watching them."

"I'm surprised he hasn't gotten me to try to make him some rum yet. He still hasn't found any. It's mysterious. I wonder. We had some on here, and even it's gone. I can't imagine who would have taken it, but I'm glad they did. It's the Devil's own drink and is no good for any man."

"Or woman," Fred agreed. "Ah've seen what it can do too, but ya're wrong about one thing. Ah do know how important it is ta have respect." Her eyes were saddened as she added in a small voice, "Mah father nevah had any."

"Your father?" Wesley repeated, setting the crate down as he turned to look at her. "Was he a scientist?"

She nodded but did not elaborate. Instead, she only added, "That's the reason why he's no longer here an' also kind o' the reason why Ah ended up with the Witches."

"Want to tell me about it?" Wes asked, sympathy showing in his eyes. It had been so long since he had had any family except for his shipmates that he could barely remember what it felt like.

"Mah father's birthday was just a few days away," she whispered to him, trusting him but not wanting any others to overhear their conversation, "an' Ah'd gone away to pick up some presents for him in town. Momma an' Ah had been working all that year on gettin' him a new lab set, because his old tubes were in such a mess. But when . . . when Ah got back, Ah found that our home had been burned down." Tears were shimmering in her eyes now, and she was having trouble keeping them from falling.

Wesley listened to her and then reached out and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her back reassuringly even while telling her in a quiet, gentle voice, "Go ahead, Fred. It'll do you better to get it out and tell some one about it. I won't tell any one. I've got a really good ear for listening."

She nodded against his shoulder. She didn't know why, but she trusted him. Perhaps it was that she knew he was a scientist like herself and was the first one she had met in years. Perhaps it was that he and his crewmates had rescued her and the others from death, or maybe it was the feelings that he invoked in her, making her heart flutter every time he touched her or looked at her with that special gaze he had about his breath-taking eyes. She didn't know, but she knew that it also did not matter.

"When Ah couldn't find them, Ah flew to town. Ah was hopin' that they'd escaped somehow an' were there, but they weren't." She shook her head, and her arms laced around his waist even as her tears began to fall. "They'd killed him, Wes," she cried, sobbing openly now, "an' Momma wouldn't leave him so they'd killed her too!"

"I'm sorry, little one. The world is full of a bunch of no-good sorry people, and that town is one of the worst places I've ever been for terrible people."

She shook her head. "It wasn't Port Royal. It was Breton. That's where Ah grew up, but that was why they'd killed them. The idiots didn't understand science an' thought he was a Witch!"

"And so they burned him. There are a lot of innocent people out there who've been killed for the same thing, Fred. I would like to get vengeance on all of those who did the killing, but all we can do is pray for the souls of those who died." He breathed heavily. "If you ever feel like talking, feel free to tell me. I'll always be here for you." He released her, reached into his pocket, pulled out a white handkerchief, and handed it to her. "What happened after that?"

Their fingers brushed as she took the hanky and began to dab at her tears. "Well, Ah couldn't stay there," she said, shaking her head. "Ah . . . Ah know Ah should've done something to 'em, but Ah've nevah been able ta . . . ta do things like that. So Ah left. Ah moved around a while before comin' ta Port Royal, an' that's where Ah ran into the Halliwells an' Miss 'Ro."

"They're your family now," Wes said. "Don't worry. We'll take care of you and make sure you're safe. You're part of my family now." He took the handkerchief from her and very gently wiped the tears from her face. His thumb drew accidentally across her soft skin, and his hand froze even as he became instantly lost in her eyes.

Her eyes seemed to mesmerize him, and before he realized what he was doing, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her gently. He was not prepared for the feelings that shot through him. They were feelings that he had never felt before, and he wasn't sure he was ready for them. He released her and backed up. "I'll show you the -- the rest of the lab," he managed to stutter out.

She had never been kissed before, but she had read about it in many books and often dreamed of it. She had known it would be a wonderful thing with all kinds of fantastic feelings, but of all the things she had imagined, none had ever even started to come anywhere close to the red-hot emotions that shot through her every cell as Wesley's lips gently touched hers. She had stepped closer into his arms and was returning the kiss when he suddenly pulled away, and her heart fell as she saw the fear in his eyes. Her own eyes widened at the sight. She wanted to ask him if he was all right but feared the answer. What if he had not liked the kiss? She would simply die if that were the matter!

"You'll have to forgive me for that, Fred. I did not mean to take advantage of you, but I won't say I'm sorry." He turned back around, looked at her, and smiled. "I enjoyed it too much, but we're not ready for that even if you're willing. We have just met, and we'd best take it slow. I'd like permission to court you."

His admission had made her face light up, but his request that was spoken so humbly floored her. She had never thought that any man would ask permission to court _her_. Why, she wasn't beautiful or anything like that! She was the quiet, shy type that every one overlooked, and yet here before her stood the smartest, most handsome man she had ever met wanting to court _her_! "Ah -- Ah know you're right," she managed to speak finally, her voice quivering. "Things like -- like this do take time, but -- but Ah liked it too," she admitted with a shy smile.

Wes tried to pretend his words had not slipped out of his mouth as he realized that he would have to give her time to trust in her own feelings. "Come, Fred, and I'll show you the lab." Picking up the crate, he led her the rest of the way to his laboratory. When they arrived, he held the door open for her and only entered after she had walked in.

"There's another room over here where I sometimes sleep," he said, walking over to a second door and opening it to reveal a cot. "I would like to offer my room to you for your sleeping chamber. It will be right off the lab, and you can be free to work whenever you want to." He looked at her questioningly, hoping she'd say yes. He did not want her to be in the sleeping quarters with the others and be exposed to any of the vulgarity that went on in there at times. She was too much of a lady for that.

"But," she asked, confusion creasing her brow, "where would you sleep?"

"In the sleeping quarters, of course. So will you take the room? We can move your things in right away."

"Ah -- Ah'd like to, but Ah don't want ta run you out."

"Fred, look at me," he said gently. When she had done as he had requested, he continued, his eyes shining with the truth of his words, "I want you to take the room. I'm giving it to you freely, no strings attached. I know you'll be safer and happier in there than you will be in the regular sleeping quarters. There is just too much that goes on there that you don't need to be exposed to."

She blushed at his words as all kinds of thoughts ran rampant in her mind. Despite their good hearts, they were still Pirates, and she had heard some awful things about Pirates. Did they . . . Might they actually do _that_ in front of others! She nodded quickly even as a deep crimson filled her face at the thought.

"Good. Then let's fetch your things and get you set up." They headed out together to fetch Fred's things, their minds still awhirl and their hearts still pounding at what had happened between them.

* * *

Xena had always been a wild woman in the bed, but she had also always tried to be gentle with Gabrielle. Now she was the gentlest she had ever been as she set out to prove the truth of her words of love to her beloved. She had never wanted Gabrielle to doubt her love, but though she had, Xena swore silently to herself that she would leave no doubt in her lover's mind just as there was no doubt in her heart as to how she felt for her.

Her fingers ran through Gabrielle's long, blonde hair as she deepened their kiss, her tongue thrusting further into Gabrielle's sweet mouth. Her eyes stayed open, gazing down into her beloved's green eyes and shimmering with all the love she held for her alone. Her hands ran all over Gabby's body, lovingly caressing each inch of skin they could find.

Xena gently lifted her lips from Gabrielle's and began a trail of kisses down her lover's body. Her lips rained over Gabrielle's neck first. She licked her at the base of her neck before moving across to her shoulder. There, she began to slowly undress her, pushing the short sleeve of her bodice down and kissing each new inch of exposed skin as it became available to her.

She made her way to Gabrielle's right breast and pushed her bodice down around it. Her tongue ran over the soft flesh before she took her breast into her mouth. Even as she suckled her breast, Xena began to unlace the rest of Gabrielle's bodice. When the last lace loosened, she raised her head and gently pushed the bodice off of her lover.

Her lips recaptured Gabrielle's again, but the kiss was short and sweet and Xena soon moved back down. She again took her right breast in her mouth and sucked on it again, her tongue licking the soft skin. She continued there for a while, Gabrielle's moans of pleasure caressing her ears, before slowly drawing her mouth down her breast. Her teeth gently caught and nipped her nipple before releasing her breast and moving over to give her left the same treatment.

Xena slowly worked her way down Gabrielle's body, continuing to kiss and lick each inch of skin she came across as she progressed over Gabrielle's stomach to her skirt. Xena's hands ran down the sides of Gabrielle's body, caressing her lightly, before beginning to push her skirt down. Xena drew the skirt slowly down Gabrielle's legs, continuing to kiss and lick her as she made her way downward. Not a single inch of Gabby's body that Xena came into contact with went untouched.

* * *

Jack wished he had had the rum. He needed it for its strength. Now that he was here, he did not know where to begin, but he knew he had to silence the Governor as his mouth opened to call for his guards in final desperation. He whipped his sword across the Governor's Adam's apple in a fine thin line.

The Governor's mouth opened but no words came out. His eyes bulged as he pressed a hand to his throat and brought it away covered with blood.

Jack began to cut away at the Governor slowly, first cutting the backs of his legs where Will had been cut so that the Governor fell to the floor again. Jack had to still his nerves. He had to do this right, because he wanted the Governor to die slowly.

The Governor was wild, crawling on the floor in his frantic attempt to get away from Jack, who began flaying away like a madman. Blood flew around the room, splattering the bed, the dresser, the walls, and even Jack himself. Finally, with his booted foot, he kicked the Governor over and sliced down his body, cutting his clothes off.

The Governor's mouth kept coming open in silent screams. The minute Jack got his clothes all the way off, he sliced his member off. Sheathing his sword, he reached down and, biting back a grimace at the thought of having to touch such a disgusting thing that had probably never seen water in all of its years, picked the Governor's member up. He used his free hand to grab the Governor by what was left of his throat and force his mouth open; as the Governor's lips parted, Jack shoved his member into his mouth. He forced it as far down as he could, and the Governor began to choke on his own sword.

Jack knew it would take the Governor a while to die, but he had done all he could to punish him and knew there was no way that he could be saved. He locked the door to the chamber, blocking it with a chair under the doorknob. He then pushed the armoire over there, as well, to make sure that if any one did try to rescue the Governor, they would have a Hell of a time getting into the room.

Glancing at his sword, he saw that it was covered in blood. He walked over to the bed, grasped the coverlet, and used it to wipe his sword clean before sheathing it.

He quickly looked around the room one more time, trying to figure out if the Governor had been lying about the chest. The one place he had not looked was under the bed. He looked there and found a sack. He pulled the sack out. It held a small chest which he opened and saw that it was indeed filled with rubies and gold. He put it back in the sack and added the other two sacks and weapons he had found, as well. He then ran to the window and exited, looking back one time where the Governor lay still on the floor. He knew the bastard was not dead yet, but he would be soon enough.

* * *

She slipped into the store behind a much older woman and headed immediately for the aisles. She stayed to the back of the store, meandering around the clothes, while she listened and waited for the place to empty. She only began to draw closer to the cash register when she knew that the last customer was there. It was the same woman who had entered ahead of her, and Faith's ears burned at the words she heard.

"I just don't know who did it, Mitch," she confided in the storekeeper. "I don't know who would help such horrible beasts escape, but we'll get them! The men have already spanned out, and once they're found, they'll be burned right along with those daughters of Satan that they helped!"

Faith's hands tightened around the shirt she had picked up. She had heard about the rescue the others had pulled off that day shortly after getting back to the Witch and knew that the woman was unwittingly talking about the people she lived with. They may not be her family or even her friends, but she still did not take nicely to the thought that some one wanted them dead. I'll show _you_ how to burn, she thought.

Her dark eyes bore into the woman's back, and she barely managed to silence the growl that rose in her throat. Although she'd like to feel the woman's neck break in her hands, she knew she could not. She had to stay there and focus on the prey that she had originally came after. She had to teach Dawson's father the error of his ways.

A grin flickered over her face as she thought of how she would make the bastard scream. If she'd allow him to live, he'd never dare to even think about harming another living being, let alone a kid as innocent as Dawson, but there was no way he was getting out of what he had done alive. No; rather, she was going to send him straight to the Devil that he believed in.

"I'll see you at church Sunday." Faith was not at all surprised at the woman's words as she headed out. She did not know why the biggest assholes always seemed to gather at churches but knew it to be so. Better to hide among the sheep, I guess, she thought with a shrug of her muscular shoulders.

It was then that she realized that she was indeed the last customer in the store. Looking up, she found Mitch's eyes openly roaming her body. She moved in without hesitation, sliding up to the counter one hip at a time. "Can you help me?" she asked him in a low, seductive voice.

"Of course, ma'am. What do you need help with?"

"I need to know what size this shirt is," she laid the shirt on the counter, lifted its tag up, and slid her chest forward over it. Her large, doelike eyes looked up into his as she admitted embarrassedly, arching her breasts upward underneath his gaze as though they were as eager to be had by him as she could tell he was to get a taste of her, "You see, I simply can't see _anything_ without my spectacles, and the darn things broke just yesterday."

"It'll be my pleasure to help you, madam," he told her, his fingers brushing hers as he gripped the tag, "and I could probably order you some new spectacles." He started to look at the tag, but just as he did, he caught the change that fell over her face. Gone was the embarrassment and shyness, and in their stead was a grim face with lips drawn tightly together and eyes hardened and blackened with fury. "M-Ma'am -- ?" he started to ask but never got the sentence out as Faith's fist connected with his face. The punch sent him spiraling back, knocking him to the hardwood floor where he lay still, unconscious.

* * *

Jack hoped Faith was having as much good luck as he had had with his prey, but he did not go to check her out. Instead, he turned to head for the dock but stopped as he thought of Elizabeth. She would need clothes and maybe even had a few personal things she would want if given the chance. He figured that her room was probably one of the fancy rooms next to the Governor's that he had seen earlier.

He returned to a window that was next to the Governor's room and tested it to see if it was unlocked. He had to use his knife to pry it open. He slipped inside what he thought was Elizabeth's room and walked over to the closet. It was filled with frilly dresses that he knew she had no use for. He closed it and walked over to her armoire.

He had to smile when he uncovered three pairs of pants and shirts. He wondered when she was wearing them. Had she planned to wear them for Will? He pulled them out and put them in his bag. He looked around and saw several pairs of shoes and a pair of boots. He took one of the pairs of shoes that had no heels and the boots and added them to the bag.

There was a chest of drawers. He opened it and found the undergarments. He picked them up gingerly with his sword and dropped them in the bag. He did not want her to think that he had played in her drawer. Underneath them, he found a book of piracy and a tiny chest that he did not open. He dropped those in the bag and then left by the window, not bothering to close it.

He sauntered slowly toward the dock, trying not to draw attention. He noticed that there was still activity going on in the center of the town square. He thought that they would have fits when they found out that their prey had escaped them and that there would be no bonfire that day.

* * *

Once Gabrielle's skirt and boots were free, Xena began to undress herself, but Gabrielle suddenly sat up and stopped her by placing a gentle hand on the side of her face. Gabrielle's eyes sparkled with love and unshed tears of joy. "Gabby?" Xena asked, uncertain as to the cause of the change that had come over her lover.

"Xena," she said with a smile, "that's my pleasure."

"But _I_ want to make love to _you_," Xena answered in a gentle voice. "I want to show you how much I -- "

"Sh," Gabrielle hushed her, brushing her fingers gently over Xena's lips. "Xena, you already have," she explained, "and I never should have doubted you. I just couldn't think of any other reason why you wouldn't want me as your second-in-command, but I understand now and know what a fool I was. I know you love me," she told her. "I _do_, just as much as I love you." Her fingers ran up, moving from Xena's lips to caress her face and then stroke her hair. "I want to make love to you as badly as you want to make love to me, but love isn't a one-way street in any respect. Let me undress you and you finish undressing me, and then we'll make love _together_."

Xena's eyes were also shining now as Gabrielle's words had touched her so deeply. She silently nodded her consent as Gabrielle's hand moved down to cup the back of her neck. This time, it was Gabby who captured Xena's lips in a kiss so passionate that fire swept through both.

Gabrielle began to undress Xena while never breaking off their kiss. She unfastened Xena's bracers and slid them off followed by the bracelets that were higher up on her arms. Her hands caressed Xena's body through her armor as best they could as they moved downwards, seeking out her weapons one at a time and placing them in the growing pile. Xena's hands had returned to caressing Gabrielle, but one paused in its caress to withdraw her scabbard and sword from her back and toss it to the pile.

Gabrielle's hands again moved up Xena's body, her fingertips sliding slowly over her bare skin before reaching her shoulders. There she began to unfasten her armor, working the pattern she knew by heart while continuing to kiss Xena, their lips only parting for the fresh breaths of air that their lungs demanded from time to time. Gabrielle soon had the first layer of Xena's clothes ready to come off, and she ceased kissing her to pull the armor off. She then pulled off Xena's leather undergarment, as well.

She kissed Xena again before sliding her hands back down over her lover's body. This time, she slid her bare breasts down Xena's body, as well; Xena's sighing moan of pleasure added to Gabrielle's delight. Coming to her boots, she pulled them off and then gazed up in admiration at the woman she loved who now stood before her in all her fantastic glory. Rather clothed or unclothed, Xena never failed to steal Gabrielle's breath away.

Gabrielle stood to meet Xena, and Xena cupped her beloved's face in her hands. As Xena kissed her, Gabrielle returned the kiss in full and stepped further into her lover's embrace. Their bodies were almost one as their kiss deepened, but Gabrielle's underwear still stood between them. Xena brushed Gabrielle's hair lovingly even as she lifted her lips from the bard's.

Xena ran her hands over Gabrielle's body. She caressed her breasts. They arched in eager ache for more of her attention as she did so, but Xena's hands traveled further. She knelt before Gabrielle even as her hands reached her underwear. It was not her fingers that picked up the hem of Gabrielle's panties, however, but rather her teeth. She began to pull them gently down, her hands giving Gabrielle's rear a gentle squeeze as it was slowly exposed.

* * *

Jack came to a merchant's tavern and entered. He bought several cases of rum and asked them to be delivered to the Sea Witch. He thought a minute and asked if the merchant also sold water. He said he did not but that his brother did. Jack ordered ten barrels to be delivered to the Sea Witch.

"The faster you can get it there, the more money you'll get for it," he said. "We are about to take off for the West Indies. I can hardly wait! There's money to be made, and I never have enough!"

The merchant was more than eager to please. "We will have it there within the hour, sir."

Jack shook his head. "Gotta do better than that. We'll be leaving before then. Fifteen minutes."

"I'll do me best, sir."

"See that you do," Jack said and headed back out the door. He could hardly wait to get out of this stinking town and back on the ocean where he could breathe.

As he reached the Sea Witch, he was almost knocked down by men toting cases of rum and rolling barrels of water. It had not taken the merchant even fifteen minutes but closer to five. He had to smile. Money talked, and the merchant had not even been paid yet. His pockets were empty. Xena would have to come up with the money, and she was even harder to get money out of than he was.

* * *

Faith dragged Dawson's unconscious father to the backroom of his store and then stood, looking around at the room's furnishings. There wasn't much except for crates, and they wouldn't work to keep him tied against. She looked up at the rafters, then, nodding to herself, headed back into the store's front room. Seconds later, she returned with three strands of thick chains hung over her shoulder.

Kneeling next to him, she snatched his boots off before standing again. Unsheathing her sword, she quickly cut the rest of his clothes off of his body. She was not surprised to find that he was not wearing any undergarments for she knew that he had wanted to be able to quickly whip out his disgusting member and embed it into his son without a moment's hesitation. Now that he was completely naked, she returned her sword to its sheath and, picking his arms up once again, began to drag him up into the rafters.

Once she reached her destination, she wrapped one set of chains around his arms and tied them to a board above where his head hung down. She wrapped the second around his feet and chained them to another beam. Once she was certain he was secure, she stood again. Without even bothering to glance at the floor below her, she leapt to the next rafter. Her booted feet hit it smoothly but started to slip. She grabbed the board above her head and steadied herself before releasing it and turned back to face the bastard she had just chained up.

She had one chain left, and now she whipped it out, hitting him again and again until finally she was rewarded with a scream of pain and his eyes flying open in panic. She grinned malevolently at the sound even as he demanded, "What the Hell are you doing, bitch!"

Her dark eyes met his. She was glad to see the fear that shimmered therein but knew that he had scared Dawson even more. "Giving you exactly what you asked for," she replied in an even voice, "when you tried to rape your son."

"Tried to!" he repeated, and she could hear the real surprise in his voice. "Whatever he paid you -- "

"Kid didn't pay me."

"So you're here to take the money he owes you out of _me_!"

"He didn't pay me, because he didn't need to. I'm not doing this for money."

"Then why!" he demanded. "Don't tell me you care about him!"

"Ain't gonna 'cause I don't," she returned. "I'm doing it, because somebody has to make bastards like you pay for torturing their kids and I'm just the bitch to do it."

"That isn't it," he said, shaking his head. His eyes narrowed as they seemed to bore into hers. "You care about him. You must've been the whore he paid today."

"Whore?" she repeated, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"I knew somebody had been on that son-of-a-bitch from the way the bastard was glowing."

Without another word, she leapt back across the beams. This time, her feet did not skid, and she whirled steadily around, dropping to her knees and grabbing his jaw before he even had time to realize where she had gone. "Your son's a good kid. He's an innocent," she informed him coldly, "and there's not too many of those left these days. You tried to take that innocence from him. You sold him; you probably raped him, too. There's no damn telling where he would've ended up at if I hadn't found him, but that's where you screwed up. I'm going to give you a taste of what you did to him now," she told him, squeezing his jaw so tightly that he thought it would break, "but I'm not going to listen to you cuss him."

His eyes were wide and wild with fear, and she knew he was wondering what she was going to do. She released his mouth so that he might ask the question that was on his tongue, but even as she did so, she silently pulled her knife from her boot. She was ready the instant his mouth flew open, and he never got a single sound out as she slashed his tongue off. He screamed in the back of his throat, but she could still hear the splatting sound his severed tongue made as it hit the floor far beneath them.

He was still screaming. The sound echoed in the room, but she knew it would not reach the street. She returned to the beam directly across from him. As she turned back to face him, she could see the fear, panic, and pain that filled his eyes and face, the blood spilling from his mouth and running down his naked chest, and the rest of his body that struggled helplessly against the chains she had bound him with. "Now the real fun begins," she quipped casually at him before snaking her chain back out and hitting him again.

She hit him repeatedly, her blows raining across his chest and arms. He screamed every time she hit him, but she only hit him harder the more he screamed. Even as she struck out at him, however, she could not help wondering how many times he had made Dawson scream. His surprised comment earlier had told her that Dawson had not told her everything, but she did not hold that against the kid. Indeed, his incomplete trust of her only made her think him smarter than she'd originally thought, but she could not help wondering just how badly the man before her had hurt him. He would pay, she silently swore yet again, he would pay for everything he had ever done to his son.

* * *

No clothes stood between them now as the lovers again laid down, Gabrielle stretching out underneath Xena and Xena gently laying down on top of her. They kissed her again before Xena's mouth left Gabrielle's to suckle her breasts instead. Gabrielle's skin grew even harder in her mouth until Xena thought she could stand it no more, but the bard surprised her as she rolled her gently but forcibly nonetheless onto her back.

This time, it was Gabrielle's mouth that took Xena's breast. Her tongue ran over her breast first, tasting only hints of its sweet nectar. She circled Xena's nipple in a series of seductive licks before drawing her into her mouth, her teeth gently grazing her skin as she did so. Xena's moans of pleasure played teasingly on Gabrielle's ears as she gave first one breast and then the other the attention it so sorely needed and deserved.

She was still suckling Xena's breast when she reached the point that she could no longer stand still not being inside of her lover. With the same gentle force that Gabrielle had used on her moments before, Xena rolled Gabby back onto her back. Gabrielle was not surprised when Xena flipped up into the air and changed position before falling back to her. She caught herself with her hands and feet on either side of Gabby so as to keep her pressure from hitting her lover and had barely landed when she began to lick her beloved's honey pot.

They licked one another in unison, each gently nibbling and chewing the other even as they arched ever more tightly against each other. Xena's tongue was the first to find Gabrielle's secret hole, but seconds after she joined Gabby, she felt Gabrielle join her. Their hands continued to caress each area of one another that they could find and their tongues to lick each other's delicious cream as they rose steadily and then shot into the stars together.

* * *

It was only when bruises and blood filled every inch of Mitch's torso that Faith finally let the blood-stained chain fall to the floor. Questions flashed in his wild eyes, and she knew he was wondering if she was done with him. She shook her head. "You're not getting off that easy," she told him even as she pulled her sword from its sheath.

She twirled the sword in her hand for a moment, thinking of how special its blade was. One side would cut just enough to draw blood but not do any other damage; the other would slice through nearly anything as smoothly as a knife through butter. She had had it built especially for a certain being from her past and had only meant to use it on him. This was a special case, however, and she was just as happy to use it on Dawson's father as she would have been for the man it was intended for.

Turning her mind back to the present and the screaming man before her, she reached out and ran the lighter side of the sword over his legs. Streams of crimson appeared in the wake of her blade. She slashed both sides of his legs before slicing his knees. She then flipped her sword around and used its other side to cut deep gashes into his thighs. Blood poured from there, and his screams grew louder even as she trailed her blade slowly upwards.

She had almost reached his groin when she flipped her sword around again. His panicked struggling changed to quivers of absolute terror as she ran her blade softly across his groin and the three items therein. She did not press down enough to actually cut his skin the first time, but as she drew her sword backwards along the same path, she cut a small trickle of blood. She continued the pattern, cutting one layer away at a time and letting his severed skin fall, before finally flipping her sword around again.

A fatally dangerous smile played over her dark lips. He was whimpering now instead of screaming, and she knew he would have been begging for his miserable life long ago had he had a tongue to do so with. "You took your son's," she told him. "Now I'm gonna take yours." The words had barely left her mouth and he had scarcely started to scream again when she took one final swipe with her blade, cutting off both his testicles and his member. They started to fall, but she sheathed her sword and jumped after them. She caught them in mid-air and started back up toward him as soon as her feet touched the ground.

He still had not stopped screaming when she returned to him. She grabbed his jaw again with her free hand and forced it open. Once she had it open, she shoved his parts into his own mouth. She pushed them as far back as she could before finally releasing him. He had already began to choke and tried desperately to spit them out. He succeeded in getting only one out, and the testicle shot out and across the empty air, hitting the beam she had stood on minutes before, before falling back down. She glanced at it before ignoring it completely and jumping back to the floor herself. She could still hear him choking as she walked away and back into the front of the store.

* * *

What she had just done did not even appear to phase Faith as she went through the store, walking with the same natural seduction to her saunter as she always did. She headed first to the cash register. She found a large bag behind the counter and emptied the register's contents into it. She then added the shirt that she had left on the counter before heading deeper into the store. She walked the aisles one at a time, filling the bag with anything she could find that might be of help. It did not take her any time at all to fill the first bag, and she had to return for a second one.

She had barely began to fill it when she hit the row where she had gotten the shirt from. She began to glance over it but stopped, thinking of Dawson. The kid had nothing other than the clothes that were currently on his body. She didn't owe him anything other than a shirt, but it wouldn't hurt anything for her to get him a few more clothes and give them to Jack to take to him wherever he had sent him to before they took off. She told herself she didn't care where the kid was as long as he wasn't around her, but he could use the clothes. With that thought in mind, she quickly filled half the bag.

She had one more row left, and she found it to be full of fruits and vegetables. She finished filling the bag with a variety of what was there. Then throwing both bags over one shoulder, she snatched up an apple and headed for the door. She unlocked it, walked out, and took her first bite of the apple even as the door swung shut behind her.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	24. Chapter Twentythree

**Chapter Twenty-three**

Jack had barely taken one step onto the plank leading up to the Witch when he realized that he wasn't ready to go yet. He had not gone back to Will's and collected anything he could find for him. He walked the rest of the way up the plank and looked around for some one he knew he could trust. Spying Wesley, he called out to him, "Wes, I have to return to town, and I need you to watch these things for me."

Wes eyed them suspiciously, wondering what Jack had managed to steal this time, but nodded gravely. "I'll put them in my lab. They'll be safe there."

"Thanks," Jack said. "I'll return for them shortly. You also need to get Cole to pay the merchants for what they're delivering now."

"Don't be long, Jack," Wes warned. "We've got to get a move on. I've been looking at my scrolls, and Fred is right. Immense evil is coming. It will destroy the entire town and any one or thing in its path. It's unlike anything I've ever seen before and will be here soon!"

"Thank you for telling me," Jack answered. "I won't be gone long. Faith will probably get here before I will. Make sure every one's aboard and ready to sail."

"Aye aye, Captain," Wes replied obediently, hoping that for once Jack had actually listened to him and would pay heed to it. He watched as Jack turned and ran back toward the town.

* * *

Jack did not slow until he reached the smithy's. He opened the door to find it completely dark, the fire having gone out. He did not see the shop owner anywhere but figured that he was out, drunk and unconscious, somewhere. He moved further into the shop, glancing around in hopes of seeing anything of Will's but having not a clue as to where to find anything of value that might belong to him.

He did not see the donkey until he felt the air move past him as the donkey kicked backwards, his hooves barely missing Jack. "What the Hell!" Jack exclaimed as he spun around, grabbing his sword, to find that he was only facing a tied donkey. He reached out, untied the donkey, and swatted him on the butt. He had hoped that the donkey would go out the back door that was open, but he merely continued to chew on bits of hay and stare at Jack.

Seconds later, the donkey moved closer to Jack and looked him straight in the face. He swallowed the hay, then exclaimed with a grin, "Hey, I remember you!" Jack fell backward onto his butt, and the donkey brayed in laughter.

"Did you just talk!" Jack asked, so shocked that he was barely able to get the words out.

"Well, didn't you?" the donkey asked.

"Yes, but I'm human!"

"_Oh, yeah_," the donkey replied sarcastically. "Sure humans can talk, but animals? No way! They're just dumb, stupid things! Well, guess what, pal! This one talks!"

Jack swallowed hard and wondered why Will had not told him that the donkey could talk. Slowly getting to his feet and making sure that he kept a good distance from the donkey, he asked, "If you're so smart and able to talk, why are you hanging around this place?"

"I've got nowhere better to go, and the kid's not bad. First human I've met that didn't need to be kicked."

Jack made sure there was a few extra inches between them. "Since you know so much, where did Will keep his stuff?"

"His stall. Where else?"

"His _stall_?" Jack asked. "Show me."

"Why?" the donkey questioned, eyeing the pirate suspiciously.

"I want to get his stuff and take it to him. He's on my ship and he's not coming back, so you might want to find a new place to go," Jack told him, still watching the donkey's hooves.

At Jack's words, the donkey leapt into the air, joy spreading over every inch of his face. "Well, hot dang, if the kid didn't manage to get away from those bozos!"

"No, he got hurt by those bozos," Jack said, "but I managed to get to him in time."

At his words, the donkey stilled and faced Jack with as somber and concerned expression on his face as could have been on any human's. "How is he?"

"He's sleeping now and is healed, but he almost died. I killed the bastard that was behind it. Don't you go telling anybody." Jack was still surprised that he was actually carrying on an intelligent conversation with a donkey. "We need to get Will's stuff, and we both need to get out of here. You deserve better than this."

"I know that, but I don't have anywhere to go," the donkey admitted. "Hey, wait a minute!" he exclaimed, grinning once more. "Maybe I can go with you? Huh? Huh? Can I? Can I pleeeeeeeeeease?"

"Donkey, do you realize that I am on a ship and that we're going to be out at sea? It's not really a good place for a donkey."

"Oh, pleeeeeeeeease," the donkey pleaded persistently. "It's gotta be better than this dump!"

"Okay," Jack relented, still unable to believe what he was doing, "but don't forget that I warned you. Now help me get Will's stuff."

"Oh, _yeah_!" the donkey exclaimed, strutting as he pranced in a little dance around Jack. "We're bad! We're bad! We're Pirates, huh huh!"

Jack could not help but to laugh. He had never met a more unusual animal. He couldn't see why the donkey would want to be on the ship since he was a land animal and figured he might regret it, but there was no way that he could tell him no. The donkey seemed to have formed such an attachment for Will that he figured Will had one for him, as well. Jack looked around, spied a cart, and began loading it with the forge and other equipment he saw laying around.

The donkey had continued to prance around, still dancing giddily, when Jack finished collecting the equipment that was laying around. Donkey was standing by a door by that time and called out to him, "It's over here! You know, I always deserved better than this place, and so did that kid. That old fart even made his room out of a stall!"

Jack walked over and looked inside the stall. It was neat and orderly, and Will had tried his best to make it look like a home. Jack could not believe how small it was. Poor Will! he thought. Bad times are over for you, my love, he promised. He took a blanket and began to put Will's few clothes and other things he saw in the room in it. Then he tied a knot in it.

Will hardly had anything. Where had the money that he had given him for the swords gone? "Donkey," he asked, "did Will hide his money somewhere?"

"Sure did," Donkey said with a nod. "Come on, and I'll show you." Glancing over his shoulder a few times to make certain that the pirate was indeed following, Donkey walked back over to where he had been chained to the equipment. He tapped his hoof down on a spot on the floor. "Below that board."

Jack walked over, grabbed the board, and pulled it upward. There were three sacks under it. He did not open them but slipped them inside his shirt. Whatever was in there was Will's, and he had no business knowing what it was unless Will wanted him to know. He looked at Donkey. "Have we got everything now?"

Donkey paused, thinking, for a change, before he answered. His gaze traveled slowly around the shop as he ascertained that the pirate had gotten all of the tools. He knew most of them belonged to the drunkard who owned the smithy, but the man didn't even deserve the clothes he wore. Finally, looking back at the pirate, he asked, "We've got all of Will's, but can I pleeeeease have a bag of food?"

"To the store, then?" Jack asked. "We'd best get you several bags for we are going on a long journey and there's not much food for donkeys aboard." Donkey was looking at him as if he were about to cry, and Jack paused, looking at him. "What?" he asked uneasily, wondering if he was about to be kicked.

"The store? For me? Really?" the donkey asked in a small, quiet voice.

"Of course! Where else would we get oats?"

"Oh, _man_!" Donkey exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear yet again. "I think I love you, man!"

"Don't get any ideals!" Jack nearly screeched, raising his hands out toward Donkey who stopped just at his hands, his tongue hanging slightly out of his mouth. "Now you get to pull the cart, and we'd best get going."

Donkey nodded and pranced around, ready and happy to accept the cart. "Oh, man! _Bags_ of oats for me! I don't believe it!" Jack looked at the harness, holding it in his hand and wondering how to connect Donkey to the cart. Donkey told him step by step, and soon they were out the door and heading for the store.

* * *

It was much too quiet in the holding cell area. Angel returned only to find Joxer and Carl asleep on the floor and the cell empty. Something crunched under his boots, and he looked down to find shards of ice littering every inch of the floor he walked upon. Looking back up, he saw that the cell was broken and two bars were completely gone.

"Holy Hell!" he exclaimed. "Where could she have gotten to!" He began to sniff the air, following her trail. How had she gotten past him? He'd only taken his eyes off of the door for bare seconds when he had looked to see if he could spot where Cordelia had gotten to. Jack would kill him if the woman got away!

In truth, the four beings who had escaped from the cell were still lurking in the shadows of the ship not too far away. They had just made it to the railing and the blonde had began to look around when the dragon on her shoulder cooed urgently. She understood his message instantly and dived over the railing and into the water before Angel could return to the deck. The wolf and lioness immediately followed their mistress.

* * *

Upon reaching the store, Jack saw that it was quiet. Had the man closed for the day? He had been about to reach for the handle of the door when it opened and he saw Faith. She did not even see him at first as she took a bite of the apple she carried and started to walk off. She found her way blocked and only then did she look up to find Jack with a donkey with the stupidest expression she'd ever seen on his face. "What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.

"I'm here to get oats and whatever else donkeys like to eat." He looked questioningly at Donkey.

Faith quirked an eyebrow at him. "We're taking _that_ with us?"

"Yes," Jack said. Upon seeing that Donkey was not going to talk to him, he walked into the store and back to the sacks that he saw resting against the back wall. Corn, oats . . . He wondered what else donkeys would like to eat even as he grabbed a bag of each and headed for the door. "Faith," he called as he got there, "would you get a bag and fill it with apples? I think donkeys might eat apples. I've got to get several more bags of feed."

"Sure," Faith answered with a shrug from where she was perched on top of the counter. Taking the last bite of her own apple, she tossed its core to the floor, then leaned back and grabbed one of the bags that was behind the counter.

"Thanks," he called even as he returned to the back wall.

"You've still gotta tell me what the Hell's up with this donkey, though!" she called after him.

"He's Will's pet," Jack answered her. "I wasn't planning on taking him, but when I got there to get Will's stuff, I couldn't leave him." Jack returned for two more bags even as he was talking. He collected three bags each of corn and oats. He hoped Donkey wouldn't need more than that. The apples would be a treat. He headed out to the cart and loaded the bags, noticing that Faith had several bags collected as well.

Faith returned at that moment with the bag of apples. She saw Jack looking at the bags she'd collected and took the opportunity to inform him, "There's a few clothes in there for that kid. I don't know what you did with him, and I don't wanna know as long as you keep your word. I trust you got rid of him, but knowing you, you know where he is and can get it to him."

Jack did not answer her at first. Why did she think he could have gotten rid of the kid already? He hadn't had a chance yet. "I'll give them to him," he said. "He's safe and out of the way. We'd better get a move on. Wes said it was coming soon. I don't know what it is, but it can't be good."

"Is it ever?" Faith asked though she was not worried in the least.

Jack shook his head in answer even as he loaded the last bag onto the cart. Looking at Donkey, he said, "Head for the dock, and move fast."

* * *

Angel's keen hearing picked up the splashes, and he raced to the railing. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" he yelled at Crys. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING! WE'RE ONLY TRYING TO HELP YOU!"

She started to call back to him but stopped, realizing that it would do her no good. She had already tried to talk sense into him, but he listened no more than those she had left behind at her homeland. Instead, she only swam faster, her swift and sure strokes carrying her ever further from the ship. Cindy and Elvira flanked their mistress, and the dragon flew just over their heads.

"WHAT WOULD IT GET TO TAKE YOU TO TURN BACK, CRYS? IT'S NOT SAFE FOR YOU OUT THERE!"

"I CAN'T TURN BACK!" she yelled back at him, her voice revealing her exasperation. Why did so few actually listen when she tried to protect them!

* * *

It was quiet all around them, and Jack did not like the feel of the tension he was picking up. Both Faith and the Donkey were feeling the same pressure and shared his thoughts, but only Donkey glanced at Jack. He reached over and nudged his hand with his snout. "You're welcome, Donkey. Now we'd better get to the ship."

Donkey nodded and picked up speed for a moment before stopping suddenly in his tracks. "Whoa," he whispered to Jack. "The babe's not with us."

Jack looked back to see that Faith was staring at something in the sky, her face blanched white with terror. "What is it, Faith?" he asked, urgency in his voice. He walked back toward her, his eyes drawn skyward. What he saw stopped him in his tracks, as well. "**_DAMNATION_**," he thundered, "_WHAT THE **HELL** IS THAT_!"

The only thing that he had ever seen before that came close to resembling what he was now looking at was a hurricane, but this was no hurricane. It was at least twice the size of the massive one he had been caught in before and was pure white. Snow and ice spun around at blinding rates in its winds, but what was perhaps the scariest thing about it of all was the face that peered angrily out from deep within its bowels. Glowing blood-red eyes swept the landscape, and what looked like fangs glistened from a mouth that was open in a piercing howl that only then reached his ears.

Donkey had also turned to look in the direction the humans were looking in, and he was the first to break free from staring at it. "**_RUN_**!" he hollered at the top of his lungs. "IT'S COMING THIS WAY!" He then transformed into a brown and gray streak as he took off, hoping that one of the pirates would get ahead of him and lead the way as he did not know where the dock was but never daring to slow down.

Jack's heart had almost stopped beating until he heard Donkey yell. He reached out and grabbed Faith. "Hurry, Faith! We must get to the ship!" She stood as still as a statue and continued to stare at it. He shook her. "Faith!"

His shaking stirred her back to her senses. She had not seen eyes that red and full of evil since she had been a child, and the sight of the creature had taken her back to another time in her life. Her memories shattered, and she found Jack standing before her, his face full of panic, fear, and concern. She did not answer him but only took off running for the dock.

Jack ran, too, hoping that Donkey would slow so that he could catch him. He finally caught up to him and looked at him even while continuing to run as fast as his legs could carry him. "Do you even know where you're going!" he asked.

"Yeah!" Donkey answered without hesitation. "Away from whatever the Hell that thing is!"

They turned onto the street that led to the dock and stopped again in their tracks as their eyes fell upon what appeared to be statues. Jack realized that it was humans but humans unlike any he'd ever seen. They were made of ice! What the Hell was going on! he wondered frantically. Doctor Doom had finally hit upon a tragedy and hit it dead on the head.

"**_Fuck!_**" the sharp exclamation spilled forth from Faith's lips as she, too, stood, looking at the people. "They were real!" she told Jack. "I saw that bitch," she pointed to one of the ice statues, "in the store just a little while ago!"

"Wh-What happened!" Jack stammered out. "Only the Gods know!" he answered his own question, shaking his head as he forced himself to calm and fought to maintain control of their situation. "We've got to get out of here! Run like you've never run before, Faith! Get on the Witch!"

"I'm not leaving you, Jack," she told him, not even realizing the words that spilled from her mouth, "so you'd better haul your butt, too!"

"I plan to!" Jack said even as he joined her in running again. He yelled back at Donkey, "THIRD SHIP ON THE RIGHT!"

Donkey sped past them instantly. He did not even pause as he flew up the ship's plank, dragging the cart right behind him. They hit the deck with a thud and Donkey yelled right in the face of a stunned man who stood before him. "GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

Everybody froze in their steps, and all eyes turned at him. The meek brunette who stood beside the stunned man even screamed. "Yeah, I'm a talking donkey!" Donkey snapped. "Get over it, and GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

Jack and Faith hit the plank together. "MOVE IT, WES!" Jack yelled at Wesley, who stood, stunned and still staring at the donkey in front of him. "It's coming after us! Hope to Gods it didn't see us!"

It was at that time that the blood-curdling howls met their ears, and the group turned toward the sound only to see the thing at the mouth of the dock. The crew sprang into action without another word spoken, all hands doing everything they could to ensure their escape. The plank was quickly pulled in, and the ship set sail.

* * *

Angel had jumped over board and had swam quickly after Crys. He didn't know how to stop her. The woman would not listen to reason, and he didn't want to have to knock her out and drag her back. Finally reaching her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back around to face him. He was about to try arguing with her again when he heard a high-pitched, whistling sound. Looking up, he spied what appeared to be a Demon of some kind inside of a blizzard. The Demon's blood-red eyes were furiously scanning the area, and Angel realized that it was looking for some one or something. "Is that him?" he whispered to Crys.

She didn't have to turn around to know what Angel was looking at. She could tell from the sounds that met her ears, and the terrified look on her paled face told him more than her words could. "Yes! Damn it, I told you I had to get away if you and the others were to stay safe!"

"He doesn't see us down here, probably because he is not expecting any one to be swimming. We are in the ocean," he said as though that made perfect sense. "We need to get back to the ship. If you'll give us a chance, you'll find that we can hide you very easily from him. If you stay here, you'll die. Is that what you want? Do you want to die and leave your babies behind with no one to take care of them?" He looked into her terrified face. "Give us a chance. We're Pirates! We can fight anything!" he said with a bravado he really didn't feel at the moment.

"Angel, you don't understand! You don't know what he's capable of!" She sighed, her mind whirling as she tried to think of how to make him understand.

"Come back to the ship with me where we'll be safe and you can tell me your story. If I think, at the end of it, you'll make us unsafe, I won't try to stop you again."

For the first time, she looked behind her. She watched, her heart pounding frantically, as his blood-red eyes roamed the area, passing right over them. "We don't have that kind of time! He'll spot us at any second now, and when he does, he'll turn us to ice!"

"He will if we're out in the open and he actually sees us. He doesn't appear to be looking down here or it could simply be that we are protected by the Lewises. They are Sorceresses of a high order. They're cloaking the ships so that he can't see them. Come back to the ship, and he won't be able to see you." He tried again to reason with her, speaking as though she was a child.

"They may be powerful, but they're not more powerful than him! No one is!" she exclaimed, her voice and the frantic beating of her heart telling him that she truly believed her words. It was then that she saw his eyes narrow as he looked down at something. It was not them, however, and she followed his gaze only to see him turn a boat of innocent sailors to ice. "No!" she cried. "Not again!" Her animals cried out, as well, and they pressed more tightly around both their mistress and Angel.

* * *

All around the Witch, other sea-faring vessels were taking off, as well, but already they could hear screams. They looked back just as the screams stopped in mid-pronunciation and the screamers and their boat were turned to ice. Nearing the mouth of the harbor, they were joined in immediate accompaniment by the Pearl. The ships' escape was aided by Celina and Katrina working a spell to cloak both ships and excess winds that seemed to sweep mysteriously down from the sky, pushing each vessel that had not already been turned to ice ten times faster than its normal speed.

Jack looked up to see what was causing the winds and smiled at Ororo. She flew high above them in the darkened sky, and he could tell from the gestures of her hands, that she was controlling the winds. It was going to be really good indeed to have a Weather Witch. He had only heard about them in the past, but now he was lucky enough to have one on his own ship. She was already earning her keep.

* * *

Memories filled Crys' mind, and she had to fight to stay with the present even as tears raced down her cheeks. "Is _that_ what you want to happen!" she asked Angel, turning back to face him as she could not bare to see the monster destroy more when all he was truly after was her. "All he wants is me! If you let me go, everybody else will be safe!"

"Wouldn't you like to be free of him once and for all, Crys? Nothing is all powerful. Everything has a flaw somewhere, a weakness. Just because you don't know what his is doesn't mean he doesn't have one. If you come back with me, the Lewises will keep you safe and perhaps, between all three of you, you will be able to find what his weakness is. Then you could destroy him and you would be free. You and your babies would be safe for all time." He didn't know what else to tell her. He believed they could defeat him if she'd only give them the chance.

"Don't you think I've tried to defeat him! I've tried again and again, Angel! Blue's engulfed him in fire! We've even seen him fall into a volcano, and _still_ he came back! He _always_ comes back, and even what you're seeing now is only a small fraction of what he's capable of! If I was to let him take me, you'd be safe! The others would be safe! And yes, I love my babies, but they'd be safe too!"

It was at that moment that Blue let out a low roar. He circled around her, then perched on Angel's shoulder. Looking directly into her eyes, he began to coo in a rapid series.

Angel listened in rapt attention as Blue scolded his mistress. "Listen to what he's saying, Crys. He speaks the truth. The Demon only wants you because he wants your power and he doesn't want you revealing who and what he is. Do you really want to give him your power? If he was not already the most powerful, wouldn't that _make_ him the most powerful?"

"He already _is_," she told him. "I'm nothing compared to him." She looked at him with questioning eyes, however, upon realization that he actually understood what Blue was saying. Outside of herself, Elvira, and Cindy, there were only two other living beings who knew Blue and understood every sound the little dragon made.

It was then that Blue set off again, reminding her that she knew that Frostbite wanted any one who knew the truth about him. How could they ever have a chance at safety without her? Of course, there was Jack, but they couldn't stay with him as he was always flitting around the world.

Angel wondered who Jack was but figured out that the Demon was Frostbite. "Who's Jack?" he asked.

"Jack Frost," she told him, looking him dead in the eyes. "That's right," she added, seeing the flicker of surprise therein. "_That_ Jack Frost."

"What are y'all -- Elementals or something?" He reached up and scratched the little dragon on the head. Angel did not like water and was hoping that Crys would soon make up her mind to return to the ship so that he could get the filthy stuff off of him and dry off.

"Precisely. Ice Elementals. Cold Elementals. Whichever you want to call us. You've heard about Jack. You know how powerful he is. That thing," she jerked her head toward the blizzard, "tried to kill us _both_ when we were four years-old. We both _barely_ escaped."

Angel stared at her in astonishment. Just how old was this beautiful woman? Had he found some one, finally, as ageless as he himself was? He hoped to find that out later. "Crys, you do see that he's not seeing you now?" he asked.

She looked back up at the blizzard. He did not appear to be seeing them. That much was true enough. "He just hasn't spotted us yet."

Blue spit at that. He was able to mask, as well, and could tell very easily when he was being masked. Before any one could stop him and ignoring his beloved mistress' frantic call, he flew straight up and let out a huge roar. Frostbite did not even blink. Indeed, he made no reaction whatsoever.

Crys had been about to throw up a shield of ice to stop Blue, but the dragon had proved to be faster than she. When he roared, she went completely still, as though she had been frozen herself, with fear, but when Frostbite ignored him, her mouth fell open in pure shock.

"See what I mean?" Angel asked gently. "Come back to the ship. You will be safe there. We are masked. The Sorceresses are very strong, so strong that not even your Fro -- "

Before Angel even knew what she was doing, Crys had whirled around and covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't!" she told him, her tone as frantic and urgent as her eyes. "Don't say his name! If you do, he'll hear you even if we are cloaked!"

He nodded, and she dropped her hand. "Not even he can penetrate their cloaking."

"For now," she had to admit even as Blue returned to them, "but we don't know how long it can last." She took a deep breath, thinking over everything both Angel and Blue had finally made her understand. Could it be possible? Could she have a chance at a real life? Could her babies, the familiars she loved so much and who were her dearest friends in all the world?

* * *

Things had happened so quickly aboard the Witch that Jack had almost not had time to slip away and find Dawson, but he did finally manage to look for him. He found him in the sleeping quarters and shook him to wake him up. Dawson opened his eyes and rubbed them. "Huh?" he asked and then quickly sat up when he realized that it was Captain Jack. "Yes, sir?" he said, jumping to his feet.

"Calm down, Dawson, and be easy," Jack told him. "I want you to stay with us, but Faith wants you gone far away. What do you want to do?"

Dawson answered without even a second's hesitation, "I want to stay as close as I can to her in case she needs me. She'll never admit it, but I still want to be where I can help. I love her, Captain Jack!"

"Figured as much," Jack said with a nod. "I want you to stay hidden as much as possible. Do not let her see you under any circumstances. Find another place to sleep, and take all of your stuff with you."

"I don't have much," Dawson told him.

He handed Dawson the bag. "You do now. If you need anything, get word to me by Cole. I'll tell him to keep an eye out for you. Just whatever you do, don't let Faith know you're still on board."

"Yes, sir, I won't," Dawson vowed, "but I will still be close to her. She just won't see me."

"Good," Jack said. "Best hide now. She is aboard." He turned away from Dawson and headed back up the stairs. When he turned around to look at Dawson one last time, he was gone. He hoped Faith did not realize that the boy was aboard or there would be Hell to pay.

He then returned to the deck in time to hear Donkey fussing. It seemed that Donkey just could not be quiet, and he was beginning to give Jack a headache. He laid a finger on his nose. "Sh!" he said to Donkey. "Quiet down now! You could have a heart attack! Wouldn't want that to happen."

"A heart attack!" Donkey repeated, looking at Jack as though he had taken leave of his senses. "Yeah, right!" he added, prancing around and shaking his head. (He had been released from his harness shortly after arriving aboard the ship.) "Like I'm really going to have a -- " His voice cut off abruptly, and he suddenly began to choke. His tongue flapped wildly around, tossing spit toward Jack but not actually hitting him. He rose up on his hind hooves and stumbled around before toppling over backwards. His hoof landed on his chest, his head hit the dock, and his eyes shut. His tongue lolled out at an odd angle from his mouth, and he lay completely still.

Jack went over and pushed him. "Get up from there, Donkey! You're the worst clown I have ever seen, and you don't scare me any at all! Why, if you do kick off, I'll just push you off the side of the ship and let the fishes eat you!"

Donkey jumped up at that . . . and right into Jack's arms. "NO!" he screamed, pawing at Jack as he tried to climb even further up him. "You wouldn't do that! You wouldn't let them get me!"

Laughter came from behind them, and a tiny horn blew from a button. "You know, I was going to say that I resented your saying that he was the worst clown you'd ever seen, but I have to admit," came Morph's voice, "that I think he's even got Tom and me beat!"

Jack shook his head even as he pushed Donkey down. "Morph, get out of the clown suit," he commanded, referring to the clown that Morph had transformed into. "Gods, I swear! All of you are going to drive me crazy with your foolishness, and if I hear 'I'm bad' one more time, Donkey, no oats tonight."

"Can I have some corn?" he asked hopefully.

"Only if you're good." He looked around for Tom but did not see him; he was relieved that at least one of the comedians was not bounding around him.

* * *

Though her tears had stopped falling, her ice blue eyes still shimmered as she again looked up into Angel's soulful eyes. "All right," she said at last. "I'll come back, but you have to let me tell you. Even if you don't know, he'll still kill you if he finds out that I've had anything at all to do with you. The others have to know, as well, because everybody on both of the ships is put in danger by my presence and was even the first moment I sat foot on the Pearl."

"Okay," Angel agreed, relieved and glad that she had finally decided to give them a chance, "but first thing, let's get back to the ship and get the Hell out of here. Once we outdistance him, I'll tell Jack that you need to tell every one what's going on."

She nodded. "But Angel," she added, "if even one person or animal doesn't want me on there after they know what I have to tell you all, I'm not going to stay."

A loud crashing noise caused Angel to turn around and look behind him at the city of Port Royal even as it shattered into a million pieces. The sound started tears flowing back down Crys' face instantly; she did not need to look to know what it was made from. "Well, I'll be damned!" Angel said. "Jack was right! Its evil has destroyed it!"

She shook her head. "No. He did that."

"Yes, but that town deserved to die," Angel said, wishing that he could somehow stop her tears but knowing that he could not. She did not mean anywhere near as much to him as Cordelia did, wherever she had gotten off to, but he already cared deeply for her. "It was full of bigoted, self-righteous people who crippled, killed, and maimed both animals and humans all in the name of their religion, rather it was greed, money, or God. They deserved to go." He turned back to swimming toward the ship, hoping that Jack would realize that he was not on the ship and that they would wait for them.

Crys' heart remained heavy as she followed after Angel. He might be right about the humans, but she knew that animals and children had perished, as well. Surely, there had to have been some innocence in that town, and she bore that cost heavily upon her shoulders and heart. It was then that she suddenly felt herself plucked from the water, and a scream broke from her lips. Roars surrounded her as her animals were also snatched up, and ahead of them, she could see Angel being lifted from the water, as well. Yet she could see nothing and only felt wind.

"Thanks for the lift, 'Ro!" Angel called. "I was afraid Jack was going to leave us!"

Crys looked in the direction Angel called to and was surprised to find a black woman with long, white hair streaming out around her and a gentle smile looking down at them from high in the sky. "He would not intentionally do so," she told the man whose name she thought was Angel but was not certain.

"Never in a million years," Angel agreed, "but he doesn't know we aren't on board."

Ororo nodded. "That shall be remedied soon enough," she assured him, "but would you rather me set you on the Pearl or the Witch?"

"Where Jack is."

At his answer, Ororo looked around, her blue eyes scanning the ships until they finally fell on Jack who seemed to be rather surrounded at the moment. Her eyes widened slightly. Was it her imagination, or was that donkey _talking_! His mouth certainly appeared to be moving in the sounds of human language, but surely she must be mistaken. She gently lowered Angel, the blonde, and the three animals to the Witch's deck.

Crys had been startled out of her wits by the Weather Witch, but the talking donkey did not phase her at all. After all, she had grown up around talking reindeer. "Hey!" Donkey yelled. "It's raining people! Don't get it on me!" He moved closer to Jack.

Jack was surprised to see Angel flying through the air along with the rest of his company. They were all dripping wet. He wondered just what had happened, how the woman had gotten out of the cell, and why they were all wet. "Long story?" he asked, looking at both of them.

"Sort of," Angel replied.

"Then let it wait 'til we reach the Pearl," Jack said. "We keep our laundry on our ship." He turned to watch as they came closer to the Pearl.

Crys shook her head. "Sir?" she spoke quietly.

"Yes?" Jack asked, turning to look at her.

"The story is one that both ships must be made aware of in the utmost speed but must also wait until we can escape . . . " She glanced back at the blizzard that was howling madly around the port. " . . . my uncle," she finished, having to brace herself as she made the admission to a nearly complete stranger but knowing that those two words would tell him a great deal more than a long stream would have.

Angel stared at her in surprise. He would never have expected that they were kin to each other.

Jack simply nodded, knowing that they must escape and that they were coming very close to doing just that. "It can wait, miss," he told her in a gentle voice, almost as surprised to realize that he still did not know her name as he was to learn that the monster that was chasing after them was the uncle of the woman who had so kindly healed his beloved Will, "for a little while." He then turned back to watching and waiting for the Pearl for even though he owned the Witch as well, he did not feel as comfortable on her decks and longed to be on his own beloved mistress.

* * *

As she rose back into the sky whose clouds of snow and storm were almost as dark as night, Ororo's attention immediately returned to the howling, Demonic blizzard. She was just in time to see its blood-red eyes narrowing down at another boat. She had seen him turn another boat and all it carried to ice and knew that the boat he now looked at was about to share the other's fate. She had not been in time the first time, but now that she had a warning, she would not willingly allow it to take place again. "NO!" Thunder roared in unison with her cry, and lightning shot from her hands.

The effects of Ororo's good intentions all happened at once and in the space of just a few heartbeats. The lightning bolts she had thrown hit the blizzard but bounced back; she barely had time to register their return before she was struck by her own lightning. Screams and yells shouted from both the Pearl's and Witch's decks as they saw her fall from the sky.

Tom, who had never strayed from Katrina and Celina, realized their and, more importantly to him, his own mistake. They had cloaked their own ships but either had not thought or had not had the power left to cloak the other vessels. He dashed forward but did not speak a word to either of them. He placed one gentle hand on each catwoman's shoulder instead and joined them in the chant. The spell grew as it derived power from three now instead of just two who were already tired, and they extended it together to include all the fleeing ships.

Crys had been one of the ones who had screamed at the sight of Ororo being struck, and before any of the men around her could react, she had flown into action. Ice had suddenly appeared under her feet and swiftly built a makeshift bridge that carried her to Ororo.

* * *

Logan had been standing next to the rail, gripping it tightly with his hands, ever since they'd left port. His eyes had never left 'Ro. He hated that she was out there, a target almost, against whatever Demonic being was coming against him. His claws slipped in and out; he did not even notice.

He was proud of what she was doing even as he was terrified at her exposure. He saw her lift Angel, the blonde, and the animals back to the Witch.

For a brief instant, his mind slipped back to thoughts of what had happened between him and Gabrielle. He had been expecting it for a long time and was secretly relieved that, at last, it had happened and he was allowed to go home to the Pearl at long last. He had had to put up a big fuss with Gabrielle even though he had not wanted to. Xena and he had discussed it in the past, and he knew she was glad that the truth was out at last. He hoped the ladies were making up just fine. He loved both of them as a brother.

He was jerked back to the present as he saw something bounce back and hit 'Ro. His mouth opened in a silent scream even as his body set into action. Racing toward his beloved, he ignored everything in his path, jumping over things that didn't move and pushing aside things, and bodies, that did. He flew up to the crow's nest and then leaped skyward, his arms outstretched to catch her, never thinking of how he was going to keep from crashing back to the ship. He only hoped he could make it to the water.

* * *

Jack watched as a blur of yellow and black passed through the air. He never could figure out why Wolverine liked those colors, but he was often to be seen with them and could be spotted a mile away. He opened his mouth to yell at him even as he saw him leap skyward. He did not want to lose him, because not only was he a great fighter but he was a good friend. He gripped the rail and closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer that something would save him.

Angel's mouth opened in surprise when he saw ice shoot from underneath Crys, forming an ice bridge. He nudged Jack in the ribs. "Captain?" he said in a voice of awe.

Jack opened his eyes. Had a miracle occurred? Had Wolverine managed to survive? "Where did that come from?" he asked Angel.

"Crys," Angel said. "She made it. She's an Ice Elemental." They stood side by side, watching, as the rescue occurred.

Donkey seemed to be surprisingly quiet as he watched the scene unveil before them with eyes rounded by shock. He was standing beside Jack, his mouth next to the Captain's ear, when he suddenly smacked his lips.

Jack smiled as Wolverine's feet landed on the ice, making a hard thudding sound, and he was relieved to see that the ice was strong enough to hold both of them up. It was then that Donkey smacked in his ear. Jack's fist clenched; even as he turned, his fist gently met with Donkey's nose. "Don't. Do. That!" he ground out. "Next time, it won't be gentle! What do you call that any way!"

Donkey looked at Jack with wide, innocent eyes. "What?" he asked, his tone just as innocent.

"That Gods-awful sound you just made!"

Donkey cocked his head to one side, his face adopting a look of confusion. He shook his head. "Don't know what you're talking about, Captain."

"Do it again, and you'll know," Jack threatened him. "Why don't you go see if you can find Will?"

Donkey brightened at that suggestion. "Okay!" he exclaimed and pranced off joyously despite the danger that surrounded them.

Jack hated to have deceived the donkey, but he just couldn't take any more of his Gods-awful noises at that moment. He wondered if Donkey was ever quiet or if he talked even in his sleep. His eyes returned to Wolverine and the women.

* * *

Crys had almost reached Ororo when a blur passed by her. She barely had time to register it as being a short, rough-looking man before he and Ororo, who he had caught in his arms, fell onto the ice bridge.

Wolverine stepped carefully, not sure what he was standing on, but glad that some one had thought to throw something out there for him to land on. It felt very slippery, and he prayed that he would keep his footing. He did not want to drop 'Ro. She was unconscious, and although she didn't weigh that much, she was at least twice his height and he was having trouble keeping her off the ground until a pair of hands slipped under his to assist him. "Thanks," he muttered around a lot of hair. "Can't see where I'm goin'. Don't want to drop 'er."

"If you stand still," a voice that he had not heard before told him, "I can heal her." Though he could not see her, she still looked at him with tears shimmering in her ice blue eyes. "And I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Ya didn't have anythin' to do with this, but 'preciate it. Did ya throw out whatever I'm standing on?" he asked. "What _am_ I standing on? It feels very slippery."

"Actually," she told him quietly, "I did . . . on both accounts." She paused a moment, then told him further, "It's ice."

"Ice!" he asked. "Where'd it come from? Normally I'd say it couldn't exist here, this being the Tropics an' usually hot as Hell although today, it's definitely not been hot. O' all things, snow and now ice! Will wonders never cease!"

"No," she told him gently. "_Trouble_ never ceases."

"That's definitely true," he replied, "but when there's trouble, there's always some one to help ya. Thanks again for the save. Now I've got to get 'Ro down to the ship." He would not give her up, and he would not let go until his feet were on the ship and he could lay her down. "Ya say somethin' about healin'?" he asked even as he continued walking.

"Yes," she agreed. "If you could hold still for a moment, I could heal her now even."

"Nope. Not till I get on the ship. I 'preciate the ice bridge, but I don't trust it. I want my feet on the Pearl."

She shook her head, knowing fully well that the ice bridge was perfectly safe, but then relented as she remembered that she had caused the bridge just as much as she had caused Ororo to be hit. "I'll take us down then. You might want to hold still for a moment."

"What do ya mean yer'll take us down? What are ya -- a giant?" He wished he could see who was talking to him, but there was no way he could see around 'Ro.

"Not highly likely," she answered. Had the situation been any different, she might have even laughed, but her voice remained as somber as her face. "I control the ice."

"Wonderful! Is that anythin' like Weather Witchin'? I swear, you Witches are somethin' else! We're lucky to have found ya!"

"No one's ever lucky to find me," she told him gently, "and I'm not whoever you think I am." She began to slowly melt the bridge, and as it melted, it took them closer to the deck.

* * *

Jack watched in amazement as the bridge began to withdraw on itself even as it melted. Angel stepped forward to help but then realized that Wolverine would not let go easily. "Jack," he nudged his friend, "maybe you could . . . "

"Thanks, Angel. Another second, and I would've thought of it. I'm just totally amazed at this ice bridge! You said the woman made it? What is an Ice Elemental? Is it anything like a Weather Witch?" Even as he was asking Angel, he moved forward to meet Wolverine and the women. They landed, and Jack cleared his throat. "Wolverine, may I help?"

If any other man would have asked if he could help, Wolverine would have growled, but this was Jack and Wolverine would no more think of growling at him than he would have growled at 'Ro. "'Preciate it, Captain. I could use a little help." It took a lot for him to admit that.

Jack reached out and picked up 'Ro's legs. He felt Wolverine's hands move down to her shoulders. "We'll lay her right here and give Crys a chance to work on her. She's a healer," Jack said, talking reassuringly to Wolverine and hoping he wasn't going to go berserk on them.

He had once seen Wolverine in a beserker rage, and the guy was absolutely relentless. He had been butt-naked with only his boots on and had almost wiped out an entire pirate ship on his own. They'd never said anything about it to each other, but Jack was still grateful to him and would be to his dying day. Wolverine had rescued Jack from that pirate ship. No one else knew about their past, because neither one of them talked much about their pasts. Jack relived his nightmares from time to time, and if Wolverine ever talked about anything of the past, it was not about the times that he had pulled off rescues.

The very moment that Crys had stepped off of the remainder of the puddle that had been the bridge, she was surrounded by her animals. Cindy and Elvira flanked her, and Blue settled in on her shoulder. They stood silently to the side of the men, waiting for Crys' chance to heal Ororo but not making a single sound.

Jack and Wolverine laid 'Ro gently on the deck, and Jack stepped back. It was the first chance that Wolverine had had of seeing the strange woman and her pets up close. "Thank ya fer the rescue, lady. I'd 'preciate it if ya'd heal my 'Ro. Is there anythin' I need ta do?" He thought the lady was pretty, but he couldn't even begin to imagine where she had gotten three such strange companion animals.

She shook her head, her long, blonde hair shimmering down her back as she did so. "Please do not thank me," she told him gently, "for it is my fault that she was hit." She moved forward to kneel before Ororo, Cindy and Elvira making every step she did.

Wolverine could not figure out why the woman kept blaming herself. After all, she was not that Demonic being that he could still see up there, floating around like some kind of a bleeding fairy. He had seen many things in his time but none of them as weird as the things he had seen this day. "If ya say so, ma'am," he finally got out. He knelt beside 'Ro, taking one of her hands in his. "If I can ever do anythin' fer ya, just ask."

"I would never ask anything for helping where I can," she told him, even as she withdrew her necklace from where she kept it hidden in the bodice of her black grieving gown, "especially when it is my fault that they need healing." She had seen him glance up at Frostbite who was still flying around in the sky, constantly trying to find some sign of where the ships had disappeared to but being unable to attack what he could not see. "He is after me," she told him.

Returning her attention to Ororo, she leaned forward and pressed the crystal gently to the woman's forehead. It began to glow instantly and quickly engulfed Ororo's body in a shining, blue light.

Wolverine could feel 'Ro's shallow breathing begin to quicken and normalize. He was so relieved that he wanted to scream for joy, but he said nothing because he did not want to disturb the healing the woman was doing. His mind had caught onto the fact that the Demonic being was looking for the woman and trying to wipe out everything in its path. He vowed it would not get her if he had anything to say about it.

When the blue light ceased, Crys withdrew her necklace and tucked it back into its hiding place. Standing, she backed up a couple of paces; both the lioness and wolf continued to keep their steps with their mistress'. Elvira bumped into something and glanced up only to see that it was Angel's leg.

"Nice girl," Angel spoke softly to the wolf.

Elvira's eyes shone up at him, and the Vampire could almost swear that the wolf had smiled before she turned her attention back to Ororo who was slowly coming to.

Ororo's blue eyes fluttered open, and she found Logan gazing down into her face with deep concern. "Wolverine?"

"Yes, darlin', 'Ro?" he asked in a gentle voice.

She was slowly remembering what had happened and thought, from the way her body felt despite being struck by her own lightning, that the Lewises must have healed her again. She really must thank those women as soon as she had a chance to do so. "Is it still here?" she asked quietly, referring to the Demon within the blizzard.

"Unfortunately so, love, but it's not safe fer ya to go back out there. We've caught a good wind, an' we're makin' good time. Rest a little while so that if you're needed again, yer'll be able to take on the world," he said with a grin. "Only you, 'Ro, would attack the worst bleeding fairy I've ever seen!"

Crys opened her mouth to correct the man called Wolverine but thought better of interrupting the two and hushed herself. Ororo, however, nearly spoke Crys' very thought. "Whatever that creature is," she gently informed Logan, "he is no fairy. However, if he's still up there, are you sure that the normal wind will be enough?"

"It should be, darlin'. Rest until you feel a little stronger, an' if we haven't gotten away, you can conjure those winds again."

"I feel fine actually, Wolverine," she told him, getting to her feet with no problem. "I really must thank the Lewises. Where are they?"

"It wasn't the Lewises this time, darlin'. It was this nice woman. I still don't know her name." He looked inquiringly at Crys.

"You may call me Crys," she told them, "but please do not thank me. I am only sorry that he hit you."

Ororo's blue eyes widened at that. "Why, child, you had nothing -- !"

Crys cut her off with a shake of her head. "As I have told the gentlemen here, I have everything to do with it. He is after me."

"My name's Wolverine," he stated, "an' he won't have ya, at least not while I'm alive an' then if he does me in, there'll be others to step in. We'll overcome him. Just gotta get the Witches on it or maybe Doctor Doom might come in handy. He's always spoutin' off about one thing or another; maybe he's got the answer. This beautiful lady," he said, turning to look at 'Ro, "is Ororo. I call her 'Ro."

Crys nodded, taking in all that he said. The moment he stopped speaking and gave her a chance to say something again, however, she quickly told him, "I appreciate your offer, Wolverine, and know you have the best of intentions. However, please do not make such calls until you know exactly what it is you so freely and kindly offer to involve yourself in."

"You healed 'Ro, an' that's all I need to know. I'm in yer debt, an' Wolverine pays his debts."

Crys glanced at Jack as Wolverine spoke those words. What was it with these men? Why couldn't they just take a healing and be happy for it? Looking back to Wolverine, she told him, "Had I intended to place you in debt to me, I would not have healed her. I do not do such."

"I didn't say ya asked fer anythin'; I'm givin' it freely," Wolverine said. "We take care o' our own here. 'Ro's mine." He smiled at her, hoping she wasn't going to throw a lightning bolt at him for making such a claim.

Crys bit back a sigh of frustrated aggravation. "Like I said, I appreciate the offer. I do, but please do not make such when you do not truly know what it is that you are offering."

"I know this much. I like ya, an' I don't like him. That's all I need to know fer him to be my enemy."

Crys took a step closer to the considerably shorter man, her ice blue eyes glaring with frustration. Why was it so hard to make these people understand that they did not have the first real clue as to what they were trying to take on! "That is not all you need to know! You know nothing of him! You think that you have an ideal of what he can do! You might even believe that you've seen the worst that he is capable of, but you have not even seen an _inkling_ of what he can do!"

"An' he ain't seen an inkling o' what I can do either, darlin'." Wolverine was never one to blow his own horn, but he was proud of his abilities. He felt capable of taking on anything and coming out a winner.

"It doesn't matter what you can do," she told him. "All he has to do is take one look at you, and you can be ice instantly!"

"Better get me some protection shields," Wolverine said, "soon as the Lewises're recovered."

Crys stepped closer still, her second stride placing her directly in front of him. "You are not taking him on!"

"Not right now. I haven't had my lunch yet, but if he messes with 'Ro again, he's messin' with me, an' ya don't mess with me an' live ta tell about it."

Jack, overhearing the conversation, nodded glumly, remembering all the battles that he had been in with Wolverine and how many buttholes had bit it, many of them taken care of personally by the little man he thought of as a giant. He didn't want anything to happen to him and hoped that they could soon come up with something that they could fight with against the Demon.

"You wouldn't even have the chance to lay one hand on him! _One_ of his thoughts would turn you to ice, and the second would _shatter_ you!"

He looked at her, knowing that this conversation was not going anywhere and knowing that there was no way that he could walk away from the battle that was coming. If there was any way possible, he would find a way to destroy that Ice Demon. He had family and friends aboard both ships, and he'd never stand idly by, waiting for something to happen to them. He looked at 'Ro and kissed her. "Guess ya better be about yer job, baby?" he asked.

She could tell that she would get nowhere with Wolverine and turned her attention to Ororo before she could answer him. "You're not going back up there . . . " she started but the woman was already shaking her head.

"We appreciate your concern," Ororo told her with the gentle voice of a mother, "but we must do what must be done. You need not fear, though, for he can not see me." She gave Logan's hand a gentle squeeze even as Crys' eyes narrowed. She didn't know what the blonde was thinking to do, but a gust of wind lifted her from the ship and well out of Crys' reach before she could do anything.

Crys whirled around to face Angel, throwing her hands up in despair and letting out an exclaiming shout of frustration. "I'm sorry, Angel, but if the rest of them are as blindly stubborn as those two, this is never going to work!" Shaking her head, she continued before he could say anything, "If I tell you what happened, it will only increase the danger I've already placed you in! I'm out of here as soon as we hit the next port!" She stalked off, ignoring Blue's gentle coos from where he was still perched on her shoulder. Cindy followed beside her mistress, but Elvira trailed behind considerably more reluctantly.

All three men watched as Crys and the animals walked away, each one of them wondering what they could do to help her and vowing to find a way. It was then that they felt huge gusts pushing the ship and were soon carried out far past where the Demon still circled, howling like a mad banshee.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	25. Chapter Twentyfour

**Chapter Twenty-four**

Angel was concerned and followed Crys. He knew she was worked up again and thinking about leaving. He should have warned her that he knew his crewmates would stand by her, no matter what she thought she had done or caused to happen. He had known that they would. Now he had to convince her that they knew what they were doing. "Crys," he called, "wait up."

"For what, Angel?" she asked, glancing at him from an imploring face with ice blue eyes where new tears shimmered. "For another talk? For another request for me to allow your friends and family to be killed, to be _slaughtered_!"

"What did you expect them to do, Crys -- turn on you and tell you to get lost? We don't do things like that. Each and every one of us, at one time or another, has had to be rescued, whether it was from Demons or even from ourselves. Maybe I should have warned you that they would all be supportive. You'll be allowed to tell your story, but I can tell you already what their reactions will be. They will all be willing to help you in any way that they can. Do you not want them to help you? Do you not want to be free, once and for all? Don't say a thing can not be done if everything has not been tried. Have you ever once had help other than yourself and your babies? Give us a chance to help you."

"Angel, how can I?" she questioned him. Reaching the railing, she draped her arms over it with a sigh. "I thought for sure that there must be at least one of you with a brain bigger than your or their hearts, but I think now -- after that, after Jack, after everything that's already happened -- that the best thing I can do for every one involved is to just get out. I know you want to help, and I appreciate that. I _do_," she insisted truthfully, "but how can I let you or the others when it will only result in more death?" She shook her head. "Call me selfish if you want to, but I can't stand the thought of having any more on my conscious."

Blue looked at his mistress. He could see the memories flickering in her eyes and knew all that she was remembering for he had been through almost everything with her. He also knew that, if left to her own devices, Crys would never give in. He lowered his head for a moment, sighing. He knew what he had to do. He hated it but realized that he was the only one with the sense to make her have to stay.

He glanced up at Angel with tears shimmering in his blue eyes. He knew he was about to place his life in danger, but Angel was more than willing to put himself in danger for them. Blue could already sense that, even if Crys left, neither Angel nor those who had learned about Frostbite would stop trying to find a way to defeat him. They'd go after him on their own with or without his family.

Blue's wings unfolded. Lifting into the air, he flew to Angel's shoulder and perched again on it. His scales gently brushed Angel's cheek as he leaned closer in and cooed softly.

Angel was relieved. At last he had something to use on Crys to make her stay! "Crys, I tell you now. If you leave, we still will fight against that evil thing. It does not deserve to live and cause more heartaches. I now have what I need to call him to me. If you leave, I'll call him." He looked at her, wondering what she'd do now.

She turned slowly, dreading what she would see. Her tear-filled eyes lifted to his solemn face, and she could not help seeing her dragon's face poking out from behind Angel's head. Her own face paled, going ten times a lighter shade than it normally was. Her eyes zeroed in on Blue. "You didn't -- !"

"Yes, he did," Angel said, reaching up and stroking the little dragon's head, "but he did it out of love for you. He knows you don't need to be out there on your own, not when you've got people who are willing to help you. Thank you, Blue."

Although the dragon leaned his head into Angel's touch, he dared not make a single sound. His heart broke at the fury and terror he saw in his mistress' eyes. Had he just lost his best friend, the woman who'd been the only mother he'd known since a baby?

"Don't blame Blue. If he had not helped me, you would have gone out and gotten yourself killed. We don't want you dead, Crys. You're no good to any one that way."

She was still standing as still as a statue, staring at them in horrid disbelief. Her heart pounded so loudly that it thundered in his ears. "What . . . " she managed to gasp out slowly. "What . . . exactly . . . did he . . . tell you?"

"Only the name I need to call to bring your enemy to me. The name is David, and he has the same last name as your Jack."

"Gods, Blue, you didn't!" she wailed, tears now streaming down her face. Her knees gave way underneath her, but Cindy and Elvira caught her together. She stared at the males in horror. "You just condemned him!"

Angel reached out and scooped Crys up into his arms. "You need to rest and get some food. When's the last time you ate, Crys? When's the last time any of you ate?"

She was quiet for a moment before answering in a meek voice, "We've been living on snow."

"Good Gods, woman! These are meat eaters, and you've been feeding them snow! Well, I'm going to take all of you to the galley, and we'll see if the new cook has managed to get anything edible yet! After you've eaten, I want you to rest for a while. We've got to get back to the Pearl after that. She's my home," he said by way of explanation, "and she would be yours if you would just let her."

He walked, carrying her high on his chest, to the galley only to see that all kinds of crap was going on in there. There were four women, brandishing any kind of weapon imaginable from fingers to wooden spoons, and they had cornered Autolycus up against a wall. He wondered just what Autolycus had done this time. He sat Crys on a nearby chair and looked around at the bedlam. "What's going on here!" he demanded.

"Angel," Autolycus was the first one to cry out, "get me out of here! They're trying to make me into an eunuch!"

"Actually," Phoebe snapped, "we were just thinking about killing you, but that sounds even better!" She thrust the fork she wielded closer at him. Autolycus recoiled in fear, pressing himself as tightly against the wall as he could get.

Angel asked, "What caused this commotion? What did you do this time?"

"Nothing much," he mumbled out. "Just managed to see a little ankle."

"That's not what you told us!" Piper exclaimed hotly. "To think you would stoop as low as to look under children's dresses!"

"WE'RE NOT CHILDREN!" Paige and Phoebe yelled in unison.

Angel looked at the women in their dresses before asking, "How is it possible that he could see under your dresses? They're all long, even touching the ground. Were any of you undressed at the time?"

"No," Piper was the first to answer hesitantly, "but he said he did."

"And he was cowering underneath the table!" Paige added.

Prue looked angrily at Autolycus. "He's a thief and good at getting in and out of places, so yes, he probably did it with very little problem!"

"Autolycus, did you or did you not look under the dresses?"

"No, but I wanted to so I just imagined what they had."

"You've been told to stop bothering the ladies. You need to report to Xena right away, and I'll be along shortly. If you haven't reported, I'm going to tell her."

"But I'm innocent, I tell ya!" Autolycus protested, hoping the ladies would let him through.

Prue moved back away from him. "You report yourself to the Captain right away," she demanded, "or I'll tell the Captain what you were doing!" She brandished a rolling pin she was holding in her hand. "I'll hit you with this too! Now get out of here!"

As soon as he saw a clear path, Autolycus ran for the door. Just as he ran out, he called back, "Paige has on flowery underwear!"

Paige's eyes almost popped out of her head at that comment. "He _did_!"

Piper heard her youngest sister's cry of dismay and reacted before she could even think. She grabbed a knife from the nearby counter and threw it straight for Autolycus' retreating form. The door swung shut just before it could hit him, and the knife embedded in the wood instead. Piper's eyes widened as she looked at the knife's quivering handle. "Did I do that?" she whispered hoarsely in surprised shock.

"Yes, ma'am, you did," Angel affirmed quietly. Then speaking at a normal tone again, he continued, "I think I'd better go after him and make sure he reports to the Captain. Miss Piper, do you have any food ready yet? Miss Crys is extremely hungry; in fact, the poor dear hasn't eaten in several days and neither have her pets."

Piper shook her head, an apologetic expression covering her shock at her own reaction to Autolycus. "I'm afraid not. I've been waiting for Lorne to get back," she explained. "However, there are some apples, other fruits, and vegetables."

"Crys, eat something please. I've got to go after him, but I will return as quickly as I can." He looked at her, hoping that she would agree, but her gaze only shifted away from him. He shook his head and looked at Piper again. "Her pets eat meat. You won't have to cook it. Just give them some. I know we have plenty of it in there. She won't eat until they eat something, and I'll make sure that your kitchen help gets to you right away."

Piper nodded and started to answer him only to be cut off by a shriek from Paige. "WHAT IS THAT!" Piper's questioning eyes turned to look at her sister only to find her standing in a chair and staring at something in absolute horror. Slowly, her heart pounding in her chest, Piper's gaze followed her sister's. Seeing the animals for the first time, she gasped and backed straight up into Prue. Prue stood there, gazing intently at the animals, even as Phoebe joined Paige in the chair.

"They won't hurt you," Angel said. "They're just hungry. Give them something to eat, and they'll leave you alone. I'm not sure what Blue eats, but try him on the fruit and then some meat. I won't be long. I promise," he said, looking at Crys again, and then rushed out the door.

Angel was lucky in that he found Joxer within five minutes of leaving the galley. His eyes were red, and he was wobbling around. "What's the matter with you, Joxer?"

"I'm just waking up, and I feel like I've been kicked in the head by a mule. In fact, I saw one not too long ago. He was walking around, looking into the rooms, and I swear he was talking to himself!"

"Get yourself to the galley and help Miss Piper. She hasn't gotten dinner going yet, and there are a lot of hungry mouths aboard."

"Yes, sir," Joxer said and gave him a half-hearted salute.

"I know you don't feel up to it, but you've still gotta help, Joxer. There aren't enough people around."

"But, Angel," Joxer told him, "the woman escaped!"

"I know that, Joxer. I have her back now. She's in the kitchen. Be nice to her."

"Why?" he demanded. "She wasn't nice to me, and I don't want to become dragon food!"

"Just get in there and do what you can to help Miss Piper. I'll be back soon." He continued to follow Autolycus, who was not going anywhere near Xena but was making a steady beeline for the crow's nest. "AUTOLYCUS!" he yelled.

"Oh cripes!" Autolycus muttered under his breath. "He's going to get me before I can get away!" Autolycus sped up and changed his destination. He kept moving as fast as he could, and since he had already had a headstart on Angel, managed to escape.

Angel decided he'd take care of Autolycus later as he had to find Lorne. Angel figured Lorne was still on the Pearl. Grabbing one of the ropes that Jack kept hanging all around the ships, he swung out toward the Pearl, let go when he was close, and landed on the deck. "Lorne?" he called.

* * *

Jack had been alone on the deck of the Witch, staring skyward and watching the Demon. He finally realized that the ships had outdistanced him, and that since he knew not which direction they had gone, he was not following them. After a while, Jack could not see him any more. He decided to head to the galley and see what was cooking as his stomach had made a rumbling sound and he realized that he had not eaten in a long time. He had to hold on to things to keep from being blown off the deck. 'Ro sure had powerful lungs, he thought, if she was doing all this blowing. He glanced upward but did not see her. He wondered where she was.

* * *

Howling winds were whipping so viciously around Faith that she had to fight her way to the railing at the back of the ship. She had nearly reached it when a panicked voice screaming for help caught her ears. She stopped, her dark eyes flitting around in search of any sign of the troubled being before finally coming to rest on black paws frantically scrambling for the railing. She smiled even as she folded her arms over her chest. "Well, well, Lewis, it seems your conniving ways got you after all!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU THINK YOU'RE TALKING TO," the voice thundered back, "BUT I'M NOT LEWIS!"

Faith stilled. The voice was male, not feminine as its screeches for help had originally sounded. She raced forward, the smile completely gone from her face, and was just in time to grab the paws as they slipped completely from the railing. The wind knocked her, tossing her hair in her face and almost blowing her overboard, but she dug in the heels of her boots even as she pulled the cat up. He pawed the air in his desperate attempt to grab hold to her, and though his claws sank into her flesh when he finally reached her, she did not say a word. Instead, she dipped with him, rolling to a sitting position on the deck, the railing at their backs.

The black cat breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you . . . " he started to say only to be interrupted.

She nodded in response to his gratitude but then asked, "Who are you? Actually, screw that," she continued on second thought. "If you're not a Lewis, _what_ are you?"

"A man."

She scoffed, and her dark eyes slanted disbelievingly down at him. "Yeah, right."

"No really," he insisted with a twitch of his tail. "My name is Salem Saberhagan. I was trapped in this body."

She shook her head, looking at him, and for a moment, he thought she might actually feel sorry for him. Then, with another shake of her head, she told him, "_Riiight._ Look, Salem, if that _is_ your name, you should be happy to be what you are."

"A _cat_!"

"Yeah," she retorted, "a cat. You've got more natural agility and grace than most beings will ever have, and if you get the right person and not an idiotic bitch, you can even be taken care of for the rest of your life."

He blew out a sigh as her words made him remember the women he had left behind in Port Royal, the insane trio who he had run from at long last and should have escaped many years ago. "Well, I didn't. I got stuck with three bitches who tried to sell me."

"Sell ya?"

He nodded.

Her blood ran cold. "Don't tell me they tried to sell you for food. Who are they? I'll cut their damn throats."

He cringed slightly at the ferocity in her tone and eyes. "That's okay. They were taken care of with the rest of the city." He paused then hesitantly added in a quiet voice, "Besides, that's not what they were going to sell me for even if that _is_ where I ended up."

"Then what . . . ?" Faith asked, her head shaking and her brow creasing in confusion.

"Formyservices."

"What?" she asked. "I couldn't hear you for the wind." Even then, it was whipping her hair every which way, and she pulled a thick strand of it out of her face.

"For my services," Salem repeated, his voice rising. When she still looked at him in confusion, he clarified though his eyes could not meet hers, "For my _stud_ services." He paused for a heartbeat of a second before concluding, "To humans."

"TO _HUMANS_!" Faith thundered. "I'LL KILL THEM!" Her angry eyes flashed on black.

"They're already dead."

"Maybe," she admitted, remembering what had happened to the city as it had been turned to ice and crashed down upon itself, "but evil has a way of coming back. If they're not dead and you run into them, all ya have to do is let me know. I'll be glad to rip their throats out." She growled the last between clenched teeth.

He studied her in surprise. "Are you always that protective of strangers?"

"Hell no!"

"Then what?" he asked. "Just cats?" She ignored him and glanced up at the sky instead. "Come on," he purred to her. "I know you're a bitch, but you like cats. We hit a chord with you. Why? I told you my story; you can tell me yours."

* * *

Lorne had been watching Brendan and hoping that he would wake up soon as he needed to get back to the galley and help with the cooking. He did not know how hard Jack had hit him but figured it must have been a good hit as he was still out. He got up to move over to check Brendan out and tried to shake him awake when the winds hit him so hard that it blew him against the railing. Fighting his way back to Brendan, he saw his friend rise from the floor, and he panicked. The winds were going to snatch Brendan away if he didn't do something quickly. He flung his body full-length on Brendan, trying to hold him down with his own weight.

Brown eyes opened slowly only to meet with a red horn nearly sticking him in the eye. "What the blazes!" he demanded. It was only then that he realized that Lorne's body was pressing down against his. "Well," he spoke hesitantly, "this isn't exactly what I thought I'd be waking up to."

"Sorry," Lorne said. "I know it's kinda awkward, but we have hurricane winds and they were about to blow you overboard! The only thing I could think of was to lay on you and hope my weight would be enough to hold you down."

"Thanks, but you can get up now. What's going on?" Brendan then asked. He could practically smell danger.

"We have been tracked by a Demon ever since leaving Port Royal. You do know how you got here, right?"

Brendan sighed at the memory; the sound was one of lust and awe but also of heavy disappointment. "No man could ever forget that."

"The woman's safe; Jack knocked you out. We left the harbor, and we're out at sea. She's with her sister. I know the story, Brendan. It kind of surprised me. Whatever did you do to make her want you so much? She's from a really nice family, and that's probably the first time she's ever did anything like that. She is head over heels for you!"

Brendan sighed. He could think of only one thing to tell his friend as Lorne got off of him and looked down at him imploringly. He grinned up at him, but his twinkling eyes remained darkened by the knowledge of what he could never have. "Just lucky, I guess," he answered at first. He then sighed and shook his head as he rolled to his feet. "I just don't know whether to call it good luck or bad."

"Well, she thinks it's good luck, and if you could have seen her reaction when she got to her sister . . . ! She's not scared of your wolf; she still wants you! Are you _sure_ you didn't do anything to get her excited?"

"Lorne, I hadn't even noticed her until she came up to me, and then all I tried to do was ask her if I could help her! The next thing I knew, she was kissing me!" He had been shaking his head at that, but as the memory replayed itself and his lips again burned, he stopped shaking and only sighed in awe at the remembered feelings.

He shook himself again, trying failingly to force the thoughts from his mind. "I've got to talk to Jack about her. She can't do that again. She can't be around me! I'd -- I'd -- " He looked at Lorne, unable to complete the sentence but hoping he would understand what he meant.

"Jack knocked you out, and he'll stop you next time if things get out of hand again. You know you can count on him. I don't think he knows quite what to make of the Halliwells either, but you're not going to be able to get rid of her easily."

Brendan raked a nervous hand through his thick, shaggy mane of brown hair. "There has to be a way. I can not continue to endanger her!"

"Where there's a will, there's a way, but she is just as determined as you are. She wants you, man!" he said with a wink of his eyes. "She wants ya bad!"

Brendan shook his head in disbelief. "She's crazy!"

"Jack's on the Witch and hasn't returned yet. I've got to get back to the galley. I'm supposed to be helping to cook dinner, but I'll get you some clothes before I head back. Just stay here."

* * *

Faith continued to ignore Salem. When she finally spoke again, her statement had nothing to do with cats. "Looks like the wind's dying down." Releasing him, she rolled to her feet and turned back to the railing. She was just in time to see the other vessels taking off. Almost every one headed in a different direction.

Her sigh met Salem's ears as he leapt up onto the railing beside her. He turned to look up into her eyes, and he jerked his head back slightly in surprise at the sadness that shimmered therein. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

"Nothing."

He shook his head, then stood and began to rub against her arm, purring deeply. "I wouldn't tell anybody." She didn't respond, and he tried again. "Look. Something's bothering you. That's clear. You saved my life; I'd like to be able to help you."

"I don't need anybody's help."

He nodded. "I usually don't, but I did today . . . " He placed a gentle paw on her hand and was finally rewarded with her casting a glance at him; his dark eyes caught and managed to keep her gaze. " . . . for the first time," he lied smoothly.

She laughed, but the sound was dull as her heart was not in it. She scratched his head even while telling him, "You're such a liar!"

"Maybe I am," he said, enjoying her gentle scratch and rubbing his head into her hand, "but so are you. Something's bothering you. Why can't you tell me? I'm a cat, and I know you like cats. Don't you trust us?"

She continued to gaze down at him for a moment but then forced herself to tear her gaze away. "I don't trust anybody."

"Best way to be," he agreed, "but I'm not asking you to trust me completely, just to trust me with this."

She sighed. "There's nothing that can be done about it any way. It's done, and it was for the best."

Salem's intent gaze followed hers back to the departing vessels. "You sent somebody away, didn't you?" She didn't answer, and he knew he was right. "Somebody started getting under your skin, so you sent them off before they could make you realize that you do have a heart. Nasty things, those are," he added with a grimace and a shake of his head. "It doesn't matter if you're cat or human. If you let yourself have a heart, it'll get you into trouble every time."

She snorted. "Got that right."

"And I've got the other right too, don't I?"

She sighed but slowly looked back down at him. "If you tell anybody, I'll cut your throat."

He smiled up at her, and the look almost brought a laugh from her. "I bet you say that to all the guys."

"Nope," she said with a shake of her head. "Just the annoying ones." She couldn't resist scratching his head again, however.

"So there was somebody?" he asked.

"Maybe," she relented slightly.

"And you're scared?" he added, his eyes searching hers for the truth.

She could feel him reading her and snapped her head away. "I'm not scared of anything."

"But you are," he insisted gently. "You're scared he didn't get on one of those ships."

"He was just a fuck who got in over his head and I had to bail him out! Why the Hell should I care whether he's living or not?"

Salem's head cocked to one side as he looked thoughtfully up at her. His tail swished silently from side to side. "Because you have a conscience?"

"Hell no!"

"A heart?"

"No more than the conscience."

"But he got under your skin."

"Cat," she ground out, one hand now gripping the railing so hard that her knuckles had turned white, "I think you'd better get the Hell out of here."

* * *

Dawson had been listening the entire time. He was close enough that he could almost reach out and touch Faith, but he did not make his presence known. He was not surprised at the talking cat although he had, at first, thought it to be one of the Lewises in trouble. He had recognized Salem as soon as Faith had rescued him, however, for he'd met him earlier at the auction. He was surprised at the truths that he was hearing coming out of both of them, and for the fact that he heard Faith actually admit that he had had an effect upon her. He continued to listen quietly.

* * *

Salem started to speak again but changed his mind upon seeing the darkness that had fallen over Faith's face. He had long ago learned how to tell when he pushed some one, especially a woman, too far. "All right," he told her, "but I'll be around if you want to change your mind." A growl was his response, and Salem bolted, leaping from the railing. Her teary eyes cut back after him, and she watched as he scampered out of her sight.

"Fuck it," she muttered, turning back around. She continued to talk to herself as she stepped away from the railing, took off her scabbard and boots, and dropped them to the deck. "If the kid's dead, he's dead. If he's not," she shrugged even as she pulled her shirt off, "good as long as he never shows up again." She dropped her shirt to the deck, shimmied out of her pants, and added them to the pile of her clothes.

Faith turned, bent, and picked up her scabbard. She withdrew her sword from it and glanced at the blood that covered its blade. The scabbard made a clanging sound as it hit the deck again. She turned back around, grabbed one of the ropes that was hanging down nearby, and hung it over the railing where she could reach it later. She then dived into the water, still holding the sword.

Faith quickly washed the sword clean of the blood that covered it. Had it been merely her regular sword, she would not have bothered, but she scrubbed every spot of blood off of it before tossing it back upwards. She listened, her head cocked to one side, until she heard it embed perfectly into the deck beside her scabbard, then set to washing herself.

She had to fight the entire time, however, to keep from thinking of Dawson. What had happened to him? Had he escaped alive, or had she condemned him to death? She told herself she shouldn't care and cussed herself aloud underneath her breath for doing just that.

* * *

Lorne was headed for the sleeping quarters when he heard his name called by Angel. "Yes, Angel, I'm coming," he answered. As soon as he reached Angel, he told him that Brendan had to have some clothes.

"I'll take care of that," Angel said. "You need to get over there and assist Miss Piper or we're not going to eat today!"

"Sure thing," Lorne replied, "but you take care of Brendan." He left for the Witch even as Angel went into the sleeping quarters and got some clothes for Brendan.

Lorne continued to rush on his way to the galley. He knew he was late, but he would never have left Brendan. He increased his footsteps, hoping Miss Piper would not think he didn't want to learn because he really did want to.

* * *

Angel returned to where he had last smelled Brendan, but when he got there, he did not see him anywhere. Just as he was about to call out, he saw a hand stick out of a barrel and heard Brendan said, "Over here!"

As he held the clothes out to Brendan, Angel couldn't help teasing him. "I don't know what was going on over here, but you were into more action than we were over there, and believe me, there's been plenty going on today!"

"She kissed me!" Brendan exclaimed in shocked disbelief even as his hand reached out, grabbed the clothes, and snaked them back into the barrel. "I never did anything to her, Angel, I swear! _She_ kissed _me_!"

"Did you like it?" Angel asked, remembering how much he had enjoyed when he had kissed Cordelia earlier.

Brendan sighed even as he shrugged into his shirt, only his arms sticking out of the barrel as he did so. "Too much."

Angel shrugged. "Then don't fight it, man; work with it. Wolf controls his. You should be able to. Get with Wolf and find out what he does. Then go court your woman."

Though Angel could not see him, Brendan still shook his head. "Courting is not open to me, Angel." He paused in speaking as he flipped upwards. He exited the barrel for just a brief second, then fell back in, his legs sticking out this time as he struggled to pull on his pants. "Even if I could control it, which I can not, have never been able to, and will never be able to, I do not deserve such."

Angel was having a hard time not laughing out loud. Brendan was too serious, and yet his actions were funny at the same time! "You have to work it out, Brendan, or just let the woman go. Do you really want to do that?"

"What I might want doesn't really matter, Angel; I don't deserve it. What _does_ matter is her safety, and that can not be accomplished if she is anywhere near me." He flipped out of the barrel again, but this time, he landed on bare feet on the dock.

Angel shook his head in disbelief. Only Brendan could get dressed in a barrel with barely enough room to turn around, have every button buttoned in the right place, and look as though nothing had occurred. "Your past is not your present, Brendan. With the right woman, you could work things out, but you, my friend, have got to be willing to try."

"Trying would mean endangering her in order to do so, Angel," Brendan answered, looking his friend directly in the eyes, "and that is something that I will never willingly do."

"Well, she's not going to give you up. You have excited her, and she wants you bad. I heard her say that."

"So Lorne has also told me," Brendan admitted, "but it makes no difference. It can not."

"So the woman doesn't excite you?" Angel asked. "You don't mind if another guy gets her? You don't want her? Hmm . . . " His voice trailed off. "There's a lot of guys on this ship -- _lonely_ guys."

Brendan reacted before his human mind could make one thought. Before Angel even knew what was happening, he had picked him up by his collar and slammed him into the railing. "If you touch her . . . " he growled out, but the threat and angry face were suddenly replaced by a look of confusion and sorrow. Brendan dropped Angel instantly. Backing up and muttering an apology, he turned and fled.

* * *

Dawson heard splashing as Faith bathed and watched as her sword flew back up onto the deck to land by the scabbard. She really didn't want him in her life, or at least, she thought she didn't. He knew that, but he also knew he would never leave, not willingly. He stood up and was about to leave his hiding place when he came face to face with Salem.

Salem peered up at him through knowing green eyes. "You're him, aren't you?" he asked. "You're the kid she's got it so bad for?" He kept his voice to a low whisper so that Faith would not overhear him.

"I'm the one she's wondering about, but she hasn't got it bad for me," Dawson said. "I've got it bad for her. She doesn't want me. I can't blame her, not when she has all these others to choose from. They've done so much, and I've done nothing. She's not getting rid of me, though, and don't you dare go telling her I'm here!"

"As long as you keep my secret, I'll keep yours. She actually thinks _I'm_ just a normal cat!" he said, shaking his head. "Otherwise I never would have been able to get anything out of her. I know her kind, kid, and I have to tell you -- You're both wrong."

"Why do you think we're both wrong?" he asked.

"Simple," Salem answered knowingly. "You think she doesn't have it bad for you, that she really doesn't want you. _She_ thinks she _shouldn't_ want you, that she's better off alone. That's why she tried to send you away. She wants you gone so that you can't continue getting under her skin."

"I'm not going anywhere," Dawson said with a shake of his head, "but I don't want her to ever find out I'm here. Why, she'd probably kill Captain Jack and me both in our sleep!"

He shook his head. "She'd threaten you. She might even physically attack you both. But she wouldn't kill you. I've met her kind before," Salem reminded him. Hell, he added silently to himself, I've _been_ her kind before. "She tries to make her own survival, wants, and needs her topmost and _only_ priority, but there are a few who give her trouble. You're number one on that list. She doesn't know why, but she's got it bad for you."

"So you keep saying, Salem, but I don't see that. I wish she did. Well, I'd better go before she gets out of that water, but I'll be around so I can keep an eye on her just in case she needs me."

Salem shook his head. "I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't know it." He paused. Faith _would_ kill him if she ever found out he admitted this. "I saw the tears in her eyes when she was thinking about you."

"Probably just gas," Dawson dismissed it immediately. "She really has very little use for me, but I'll love her till I die," he said with a sigh. "Help me keep an eye on her, Salem. If she needs me, you can find me. I'd appreciate it."

Salem stifled a sigh even as he nodded. He knew he was not going to get any further with either of them at the moment, but they would see with time. He wondered if he had ever been that young, in love, and foolishly blind.

Dawson took off to find another hiding place before Faith got back on, remembering for one brief second how beautiful she was naked. As soon as he found another hiding place, he laid down and waited.

* * *

Angel rubbed his throat gingerly and shrugged his shoulders to straighten his shirt. He called after him. "WAIT UP, BRENDAN! I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT ME! I'VE GOT OTHER PROBLEMS! COME BACK HERE! I'M NOT THROUGH TALKING TO YOU," he knew that Brendan could hear him, "AND I'M NOT MAD AT YOU FOR ATTACKING ME!"

Brendan paused. "Angel," he said, not bothering to yell for he knew the Vampire would hear him, "I can't stand around. I need to get below deck before something else happens." He shook his head, sorrow clouding his brown eyes. "Gods, I don't know what's wrong with me today!"

Angel finally caught up to him. "Hormones, my friend. Her hormones triggered your hormones, and low and behold, the wolf came out! I wish mine was that simple, and you can't get in the cage. It's broken."

"What!" Brendan almost screeched, whirling around to face Angel with a shocked expression and wild eyes.

"Yeah. It wasn't me. A woman did it."

Brendan's mouth fell open and hung there for a brief moment before he managed to close it and ask, "What woman?"

"The one whose wolf bit Lorne in the butt. Her name is Crys. Jack locked her in there, so she wouldn't run off for her own safety. Things got out of hand. I sent Joxer and Carl down to watch her -- "

"You didn't!" Brendan exclaimed, cutting him off. "Angel, you should have known better than to send those two! I don't know what that woman is, but she's definitely something!"

"I figured it was a job that even they couldn't mess up and they were the only ones available. Lo and behold, she knocked them both out, and then she broke the cage by freezing it!"

"Well, at least that explains one thing. I smelled the cold on her earlier but didn't know what to make of it. She must be an Elemental."

"An Ice Elemental, to be exact, but since none of us have ever dealt with one before, we didn't have a clue what she was capable of. She's at the galley too. Well, what do you want to do, Brendan? Do you want to come with me to the galley or find Doctor Doom so that he can work on the cage?" Angel asked.

"I'll find Wesley and get him to work. That cage has got to get fixed, so that I can get in it!"

"If you say so, but wouldn't you rather go to the galley?"

"NO!"

"Prue's there!"

"I _know_ Prue's there! Why do you think I'm not about to go anywhere near it!"

"Okay. Then we'll find Doctor Doom and get him on the cage, although if we can get him to work on an empty stomach, we'll be doing something. That man loves his food!"

"We all do," Brendan replied, both he and Angel hearing the rumbling of his gut, "but I'm not going anywhere near that galley. You couldn't even drag my _coat_ to it if you killed me."

"Brendan, I can't believe you're scared of a _woman_," Angel stressed. "You're going to have to face her sooner or later. Why not do it now when you're with me?"

Brendan shook his head. "Angel, you're not getting me anywhere near her. I _refuse_ to endanger her any further! I'm going with you to Wesley only to make sure he fixes that cage so that I can get in it before I go crazy again!"

"Okay, my friend; let's go find Wesley." The two headed off together. Brendan was relieved that Angel appeared to have given up the argument, but Angel knew that he was only letting it rest momentarily.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	26. Chapter Twentyfive

**Chapter Twenty-five**

"Phoebe," Piper called, "could you go see if you can find Lorne? We really need to get started, but we should wait for him." He had been so eager to begin his learning, and she would hate to have to start without him.

"Sure," Phoebe answered. She wondered why Piper had not assigned the duty to Prue but was not surprised that she had chosen her over her younger sister. Just what was with Prue any way? She seemed especially distracted, and Phoebe knew it wasn't entirely because of what had happened to their family earlier that day.

Piper watched Phoebe go before turning back to the blonde with the strange animals. "What kind of fruits would you like, ma'am?" she queried, but the woman did not even look at her. She glanced at Prue with a shrug, then set about fetching some raw meat for the wolf and lioness.

Prue wondered over to where the fruit rested in the bag. She looked inside and selected an apple, a pear, an orange, and a peach. She carried all of them over to the table and set them out in front of Crys. "Piper's an excellent cook. It won't take long for her to get some real food, but maybe these will tide you over?" she asked hopefully. She smiled at her. "What will the dragon eat?"

Crys only sat there. Fury and horror were still etched over her face. She stared ahead, unseeing, her mind caught in the never-ending circle of what would happen to Angel now that Blue had so ignorantly told him her uncle's real name. There was no way he would ever be safe from Frostbite now. She did not even blink as Prue moved in front of her, setting the fruits down on the table and talking to her.

Blue, who had been trying with no success to get Crys to allow him to sit on her shoulder again -- in fact, the one movement she had been making from time to time was shooing him away --, sighed and shook his head. He then hopped down from the back of the chair to the table. He looked up at the lady called Prue and cooed softly to her before taking a bite out of the apple.

Prue reached out and gently touched Crys. She didn't know what was wrong with her, but she appeared to be in shock of some kind. "Angel said your name was Crys. Is that right?" she questioned as she sat down across from her. She reached out and took the apple from Blue. Slipping a knife out of her skirt pocket, she began to carve pieces off and feed it to him.

"You have some very interesting friends," she said, indicating each of the animals. "I have a cat; her name's Kit." She talked on to the pretty lady, hoping that something she said would penetrate her consciousness. She had finished slicing up an apple, got up, retrieved another one, and returned. She was sitting down when she came up with an ideal. Slicing a slightly larger piece of the apple, she offered it to Crys.

Realizing that the woman was not going to leave her to herself, Crys shook her head. "No thank you. I'm not hungry," she told her, her appetite having been destroyed by the grief in her heart, "but I . . . I do appreciate your giving them food." She gestured with her head to Cindy and Elvira who were busily munching on the meat that Piper's booted foot had cautiously slid over to them and then to Blue.

Blue looked up at his mistress as she nodded to him and cooed softly, but Crys quickly looked away. He sighed and waved the piece of apple he held at her. He considered hitting her with it for a moment but then swallowed it instead with another frustrated sigh. His tail whacked the table gently, causing Paige, who Piper was beginning to work around as she was still standing in the chair, to jump.

Prue looked at Paige. "Paige, get out of that chair and help Piper! We've got a lot of hungry people, and we've really got to get busy and cook some food!" Then she turned her attention back to Crys. "I don't know why you're angry at your little friend, but whatever he did, I'm sure it was to help you."

"Please try to eat a little bit. Angel says you haven't eaten in days. After all that time, you probably don't have an appetite, but one bite might help you to regain it." She reached out, took one of Crys' hands, and laid the piece of apple in it.

Prue had soon finished cutting the rest of the apple up and dividing it in between Crys and Blue. "Humph," she sighed. "I've really got to get up and get on the cornbread. Piper has a lot of trouble with cornbread, but it's about the only thing that I can cook and get right. She's tried to teach me other things, but it just doesn't sink in. If you need anything, Crys, I'll be close." She hesitated a moment, hoping that Crys would say something.

Knowing that Prue was waiting for some kind of word from her before she would get about her business and leave her to her own miserable thoughts and memories, Crys finally spoke again. "I appreciate it." Prue smiled before standing and running to get a bowl. She began fixing the cornbread.

As soon as Prue had turned her back, however, Crys had slid the fragments of apple over to Blue. The dragon looked at her. He wanted her to eat but knew that he could not force her. He started to turn back to the apple when he noticed that the redhead was still standing in the same chair, continuing to stare at them. With a soft growl of frustration, he flexed his wings before taking to the air. Maybe he couldn't do anything about his mistress, but surely he could do something about the redhead?

The dragon flew to her, and Paige tried to back away but found her back pressed against the wall. Her face was pale as Blue came closer. Her mouth opened to scream for her sisters, but her voice fell silent in her throat as she felt the beast's breath brush over her face. She started to stumble, one foot beginning to slip from the chair, but then froze as the dragon placed his face against her cheek.

Blue rubbed her gently, cooing softly, and a slow smile spread over Paige's face. Just as slowly, unable to believe what she was doing, she raised a hand and stroked Blue's forehead. The dragon cooed even louder, and her smile grew as his cooing reminded her of Kit's purring. "Guess you're not going to eat me after all, little guy?" she asked him, and the sound he made in response told her that he wouldn't even consider eating a human. She giggled. "I would be pretty much bones. Not a lot of fun, eh?"

Prue continued stirring the cornbread, watching the scene. She had never stopped to think of why she wasn't afraid of the animals, but a stray thought crossed her mind. The man she was in love with was also part animal. She had always had a way with them. Could she tame him? How she wished that she could!

Even now, stirring the cornbread, her thoughts were filled with him and the one brief second she had had with him when their heated lips had met and burned her to her very soul. She had to do something, but what? She prayed the Goddess would guide her footsteps. She just had to have him or she knew she'd simply die because there would never be another man to fit her better!

Piper had to laugh as she looked up at her youngest sister and the dragon. "Looks like you've made a new friend."

Paige nodded, still grinning. "Yes, I have."

"That's great, but now you can get down from there and help me with the biscuits."

Paige groaned, her eyes rolling toward the ceiling. "That's all you ever study."

"Maybe so, but we need to get to work."

"Like I said . . . " Paige started.

"Just get down and come over here," Piper told her. She'd let her think what she would. It didn't bother Piper that Paige thought that cooking and working were the only things she ever paid any attention to. Actually, it was probably better that Paige didn't have even the faintest clue that her mind kept turning back to a tall, handsome man. Piper sighed in the back of her throat as she wondered where Cole had gotten to.

* * *

Angel was lost deep in thought as he walked beside Brendan. His mind refused to stop thinking about Cordelia. He wondered where she was at and if she was angry at him for having ran off after kissing her. He really had not had a chance to get back to her. Too much had been happening. He hoped she would allow him to explain as best he could, any way; even he did not have explanation for everything that had happened.

Brendan walked slowly along the pathway to Doctor Doom's lab, his every sense at full alert for any sign of Prue. Although his lips still burned and his betraying mind refused to cease playing over the memory of their kiss, he had to stay as far away from her as possible. He shoved his trembling hands deeper into his pockets. Just how was he going to get away from her? He knew he had to, but he also realized that they could not abandon her or her sisters and did not want to have to leave the Pearl. After all, his crewmates and their few allies in Tortuga were the only good people he'd ever known.

They arrived only to hear Wesley murmuring something that they could not make out. Angel reached out and tapped lightly on the door. "Wes, we've got problems."

Wesley snatched the door open. "Don't we always? What is it this time?" He glanced at Brendan, hoping that it was not something to do with the Werewolf but realizing that it was as soon as Brendan's gaze dropped from his. It couldn't be time for the full moon already, Wes thought even as he gazed skyward, searching for a sign of the moon.

Brendan shook his head. "It's not that." He sighed deeply. "I wish it were that simple."

"Then what is it?" Wesley asked with worry in his voice. "What has happened now?"

"The cage has been broken," Angel informed him, watching intently to see Wes' reaction. The cage was Wesley's creation. It was catproof, Vampireproof, and Werewolfproof. Nothing was supposed to be able to get out of the cage, and yet it was still broken!

"HOW IN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN!" Wesley screeched. Who or, more accurately, _what_ could have hurt his baby!

"A newcomer to the ship," Angel replied. "An Ice Elemental."

"What? Down here?"

"Yes," Angel affirmed. "She's a beautiful woman and just appeared today on the ship. There's been a great fuss about that. How did you manage to miss all of it?"

Wesley glanced away even as he murmured, "I've sort of been busy with my own problems."

It was at that time that a voice chimed into the conversation from somewhere behind Wesley. "Wes?" Fred asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Angel glanced at Brendan and then back at Wes. Was the doctor holding out on them? He could not remember a time of ever seeing Wesley with a woman, and in fact, they had been beginning to think that Doctor Doom had no sex drive whatsoever. Yet he had a _woman_ in his lab! "You aren't . . . conducting experiments on her?" Angel asked. Was this some kind of new creature Doctor Doom had discovered?

"Well, we have kind of been experimenting a little on each other," Wes sheepishly admitted, keeping his voice low enough so that only Angel's and Brendan's superior hearing could hear him, "but mostly we've been unpacking and putting away her things."

"_Oh._" Angel looked at Brendan with a twinkle in his eye.

"Don't," Brendan started sheepishly, fearing that Angel was about to spill the beans on his own problem. He then shook his head with a sigh. "Actually, we'd might as well." Looking at Wesley, he told him, "You have to get the cage back up -- immediately."

"Why? It's not a full moon tonight." Wes turned his full gaze upon Brendan, realizing how distraught the Werewolf was. "Do you feel an attack coming on?"

Brendan's gaze shifted away from Wesley's again. "I already changed once," he whispered.

"What happened?" Wes questioned with deep concern in his voice. He had been studying Brendan and his different reactions to things for a while in an effort to help him overcome his problems. What could possibly have triggered a Werewolf reaction without a full moon?

Hearing Fred approach, Wesley glanced back into the lab and straight at her. "I'll be back shortly," he assured her. "I need to talk to the men." He stepped out, closing the door softly behind him. Looking back at Brendan, he repeated, "What happened?"

Brendan sighed, his lips twitching even as he tried to come up with the right words. Finally, he admitted with a lustful sigh, "The most wonderful thing I've ever felt."

Wes reached out and touched Brendan's forehead to check for a fever, then automatically checked his pulse. He did not have a fever, but his heart was racing. "You aren't going to wolf right now, are you?" Wesley asked, his concern clear in his voice. "Have you been feeling sick, unable to sleep? Hormone problem?" He kept shooting questions at Brendan while he continued to check his vital signs.

"Wesley, you're not going to find anything that way," Brendan finally told him with yet another sigh. "It's . . . " he paused for a moment before finally admitting, " . . . a woman."

"DAMN!" Wesley's mouth flew open. "YOU'RE IN HEAT!" This was a whole new game -- Werewolf in heat --, and he had nothing at all to compare it against. He couldn't compare Brendan to Wolf, the only other Werewolf that he knew, because Wolf stayed in heat all the time and did not have a problem with his wolf. "Which lucky woman is it?" Wesley managed to choke out.

"She's not lucky," Brendan corrected him instantly. "At least, not in a good way." He shook his head sadly. "She has no idea what she's doing, and I've got to stay away from her." He paused again before forcing himself to admit, "I came very close to attacking over her already, as well. You _have_ to get that cage up, Wes. _Yesterday._"

"Yesterday you what, Brendan?" Wes felt as though he was pulling teeth out of a hen.

Brendan shook his head. "I mean, that if you had gotten it back up _yesterday_, it _still_ wouldn't be soon enough."

"Who's the woman, Brendan?" he asked him a second time even as he glanced imploringly at Angel.

Angel shook his head. He would not reveal the woman's identity unless Brendan did.

Brendan, too, shook his head. "Her name is not important, Wesley. What _is_ important is that she is a beautiful, innocent lady whose very life is put into danger by my lowly hide being anywhere near her."

"Give me a minute, and I'll get my tools," Wes said. He stepped back inside and came face to face with Fred. "I've got to leave you for a little while. I have to work on a cage and get it back up and working."

Fred's eyes widened in surprise. "A cage?"

"Yes. We have some Pirates that have to be locked away sometimes for their own protection and the good of others, and some one broke the cage. I hope it only takes a little while as one of the men is badly in need of its services." He lifted her hand to his lips even as he kissed the back of it. "Until we meet again, Fred. Stay safe." He backed out the door and almost bumped into Angel, who was standing, staring at Brendan, and fussing.

"Tell him the whole thing, Brendan! He is your doctor."

"Angel," Brendan retorted, "he knows what he needs to know and that is all! Neither her identity nor any of the other has anything to do with it!"

"As your doctor, Brendan, I must protest. I do need to know your reaction -- how and why your attention was drawn to her and any other pertinent things that you can think of. You're a doctor; you know I need to know these things."

"This is entirely different!"

"Brendan . . . " Angel and Wesley started at the same time.

Yellow eyes flashed, a predatorial glare cutting through both even as he finally roared out, his angry voice carrying over most of the ship. "SHE KISSED ME, ALL RIGHT!"

"Oh. Is that all?" Wes said. "I thought maybe she had . . . physically attacked you with her luscious body or something?"

Brendan growled in response, and Wesley decided it would be best not to push him any further at the moment. Falling silent, the three men turned and headed together in the cell's direction.

* * *

Brendan's angry roar reached Jack's ears, and he grasped his silver cane tightly in his right hand. Not again! he despaired silently. He looked quickly inside the galley, making sure that the woman was still in there. What could possibly be aggravating his friend again? Shaking his head in disbelief, he rushed off in the direction the roar had come from, but upon seeing that Brendan had not wolfed out, he did not go any closer to them.

He felt filthy and had been thinking about going for a swim before he had heard Brendan but now realized he'd better hang around, unseen but watching, in case his cane was needed. He was standing directly under the crow's nest when some feathers fell down and landed in front of him. He picked up one of them and looked towards the crow's nest. "Who's up there?" he called. He heard bird sounds and knew that they were coming from Gnome lips. "Carl, what are you doing hiding up there?"

A little head and two eyes poked over the top and gazed down at him. "Is Angel around?"

"Nearby," Jack called back up, "but he's not interested in you right now."

"Oh, yes he is!" Carl whispered down. "He put Joxer and me on guard, and the woman got away! I don't know how she did it, but she knocked us both out without ever touching us and she broke the cage!"

"Oh, I see," Jack said even though he clearly did not. "You think Angel wants to eat you because you allowed the cage to get broke? He probably doesn't blame you, so why don't you come down and we'll go watch Wes fix it? If Angel tries to eat you, I'll stop him."

Carl shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere near that Vampire until he's cooled down and had some blood! He may not blame me for the cage, but he will for the woman!"

"Why will he blame you for the woman? Were you not unconscious? Angel is a reasonable man. He won't hold you to blame for that."

"He may be reasonable, but he'll expect an explanation! What am I supposed to say -- that she knocked me out _without ever laying a finger on me_!"

"Yes, if that's what happened," Jack returned. "That would be a neat trick to use against our enemies in a fight. Maybe you can find out what she does?"

"How? She's long gone!"

"No, she's not. She's somewhere aboard the ship. It hasn't been too long since I saw her."

Carl looked down at him disbelievingly. "She knocked us out and broke the cage but _stayed_ on board? That doesn't make any sense!"

"She didn't want to be in the cage. I shouldn't have put her in there, but I was thinking about her safety and had too much other stuff on my mind. Things are beginning to settle down now. I've got to try to have another talk with her, so when you find her, let her know I'd like to speak with her again."

Carl shook his head. "No way! I'm not going _anywhere_ near that woman as long as she's got her dragon! I am _not_ getting ate, Captain, not for you or anybody else!"

"That dragon's not going to eat you, Carl! First of all, even if he did like to eat Gnome, you're bigger than he is, and second, he's not violent. He might not even eat meat."

"But -- But she told us he would!"

"Think about it, Carl. She was trying to scare you to death and get your mind off of the job at hand so that she could work her magic on you, and she did just that. You were so scared of the dragon that you never noticed when she worked her spell on you."

Carl paused, thinking over the Captain's words. Finally, a light dawned over his face. "You know what, Cap? I bet you're right! If that dragon wanted to be eating us, you never would've gotten her in the cage!"

"Let me know where she's at when you see her, Carl." Jack knew Carl's curiosity would not keep him away from her very long.

Carl was still muttering oaths under his breath as he began to make his way down. His eyes blazed, and his tiny fists shook. How dare she! How _dare_ she make them think that that silly dragon would eat them! Why, he'd give them _both_ a piece of his mind!

Jack walked calmly off to place himself within hearing distance in case a speeded rescue from Brendan was needed.

* * *

Phoebe rushed out of the galley, not paying attention to where she was running while trying desperately to spot anything green. Mister Green had to be around there somewhere! He must have just forgotten that he was supposed to be cooking in the galley. She knew that if it was possible, she'd like to forget it as well.

From another direction of the ship, Joxer was running full steam ahead, one thought on his mind -- get to the galley before Angel got to him! Angel was already mad at him. He didn't know why Angel blamed him for letting the woman out. It wasn't as though he could do anything about it. He still wasn't sure what she had done to him except knock him out without ever touching him. Why couldn't he be mad at Carl? After all, weren't Gnomes supposed to be tougher? How had she managed to knock Carl out, again without touching him? Those nagging questions filled his mind, and he paid scarce attention to the crew members he passed.

He was almost there. In fact, he could smell something cooking. They had started without him! He was in trouble, and he knew it. He increased his speed, and it was at that moment that something ran smack dab into him. His eyes closed as he collided with the other object. He grabbed wildly for something to hold himself up, but his hands did not find anything.

He fell forward, flaying his arms madly and taking down whatever had hit him. It was soft, and its sweet scent filled his nose. He opened his eyes and found himself gazing down into the startled eyes of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was looking at him with a doelike expression.

Phoebe had barely caught sight of Joxer running towards her and had started to try to move out of his way when he had hit her. His body had crashed into hers, and the impact threw them both instantly to the deck. She had exclaimed, but no words had came as the air was knocked out of her. The moment she felt able to speak again, her mouth flew open to yell at him, but she remained silent when she found herself looking up into his eyes. She had never seen eyes like his before. They were so handsome, so . . . bewitching . . .

Before Joxer knew what had hit him, he found himself leaning down and kissing the startled woman. Her lips tasted of honey and thrilled him beyond anything he'd ever felt before. Get off of her, you big oaf! he mentally chastised himself. You're probably killing her, and you know fully well that she's going to slap you for kissing her! What are you thinking!

Her lips had parted in a breath of a sigh when they were suddenly taken by his. The sensations that swept through her burned her, but before she could even react, he started to pull away. She raised a hand and cupped his neck. Her fingers curled around the ends of his hair even as she stilled his retreat. She recaptured his mouth with her own.

* * *

Angel looked at the cage as they walked up to it. It wasn't totally destroyed. Just two bars were missing, and the floor was covered with water that he knew must be the melted ice. He thought she must have frozen the bars, then shattered them and slipped through as the area created was just big enough for her slim body.

Wesley checked the cage and was surprised to find that it was not overall weakened. "This should be easily remedied," he said even as he walked over to a round tube hanging on the wall. "All I need to do is replace the two bars that she transformed and shattered. Quite a remarkable trick, actually. I never would have considered the possibility of that escape method, but then I still can not fathom what on Earth an Ice Elemental would be doing in this part of the world."

Wesley removed one bar from the tube and walked over, placing it into its normal position on the cell. He returned for another, fitting it in as well. He then began to mutter words in a sing-song voice that Angel had never heard before. Angel watched in amazement as the cage first shimmered and then began to solidify, the two bars wielding themselves into firm placement. As soon as Wes had finished, Angel got the key off of the wall and unlocked it, allowing Brendan a chance to get in it. "Tell me what you want in there, and I'll get it for you."

Jack had heard enough. Why was Brendan locking himself away two days early? He knew Brendan tortured himself a lot. Jack was tired of it but knew no way to get him to stop. He could stop this, however. Walking inside the holding area, he called a greeting. "Brendan, it's two days before the full moon, and there's a lot of work to be done. Weren't you giving the men physicals? How are you going to do that in here?"

Angel knew what Jack was doing and didn't make a single sound, because he knew that if any one could stop Brendan from locking himself away, it would be Jack. He also knew that Brendan was never one to quit work in the middle of anything. He hoped it would work but doubted it. Even Jack's abilities sometimes failed.

Brendan was already starting to walk into the cage when Jack called out to him. His friend's voice did not surprise him, nor did his comments, as he had smelled him and knew that he would attempt to intervene in the mistaken belief that he deserved to be free. "Jack, the physicals can wait for now. If I don't do this, I'm bound to kill her or some one else."

"Brendan, you've never killed any one! I suggest that you lock yourself in your cabin and not let any one come near you that you don't want to see. It's two days before the full moon. If you lock yourself up now, in the cage, you will be absolutely crazy by moon time."

"I'm already crazy," Brendan said, turning from where he stood in the cage to look back at Jack with sad, haunted eyes. "You know what happened. If you hadn't been there when she kissed me, I would have killed her. I've came close to wolfing since then, as well, and that was only over some one," his betraying eyes glanced at Angel before looking quickly back at Jack, "pretending interest in her."

"Oh, so you are interested!" Jack exclaimed before he could stop himself. "That's a good sign, Brendan," he added as he reached his friend, grasping his shoulder. "It's a sign in the right direction."

"No, it's a sign in the _wrong_ direction! Jack, you know I've never been able to control it! If she touches me again, I might wolf just from the _memory_ of the last time!"

"I'll lock you in your room, and I'll put a guard on the door so she can't get in."

Brendan eyed him. "Who?"

"Me," Jack replied. "You know I will not be far from you."

Brendan thought a moment. Finally, he sighed, his head dropping in relentment. "All right," he spoke at last, "but if I should start to wolf again, I'm coming in here and I'm not coming out until we can figure out what to do about her."

Jack sighed. "I will first go and tell Miss Halliwell to stay away from you unless you seek her out. Then I will return. I will not be very far from your door. I will lock you in first before I go, and Angel will stand guard until I return." He glanced inquiringly at Brendan, hoping that his friend would agree.

Brendan nodded. "I . . . I am only sorry to have to be such a nuisance. I know you both have so many other things to take care of already, but I can not be free at this moment."

"You are not a nuisance, Brendan," Jack assured him. "You've never been a nuisance. I care about you a lot. I only wish I had the answer. She is a beautiful woman, and I fear she has it for you very badly. She's not going to take the information easily."

"Perhaps not," Brendan admitted, "but she can not be allowed to continue to place herself in danger. I . . . Something has to be done, Jack, because I . . . " He raised his head to look up into his dearest friend's face, tears shining in his eyes. "I don't want to have to leave, but I can not endanger her life."

"You're not going anywhere, Brendan!" Jack's voice raised in alarm. "Don't even think it! You're my family, and I want you where I am! I want you to do something for me, though. I want you to search your feelings for this woman. I know you just met her, but I want to know. Do you feel anything for her? I'm not talking about fear that you're going to kill her. Is there something there? Perhaps we could work on it and get you a real chance with her? Gods, I hope she doesn't go to pieces on me! I hate crying women!"

Brendan was already shaking his head. "I do not want to make her cry, Jack, but you know very well that anything of that nature is completely out of the question. You know my background. You know I have never been able to control the wolf and that I never will."

"But if you could, Brendan, would you want her?"

Brendan sighed, his gaze traveling from Jack to Angel to Wesley and then back to Jack. He knew he could trust all three of them more than he could ever trust himself. "If things were different?" he asked him. "If we lived in another world where I could? Because it will never happen in this lifetime."

"Yes, Brendan, if all those things were different, would you . . . " he searched for the words, " . . . think you could love her and would want to be with her?"

Brendan sighed deeply. "All too easily."

"Then we are going to work on it," Jack said. "You and I have overcome many obstacles together, and I think that this is one obstacle it might take a team to get over."

"Jack, no!" Brendan exclaimed, grabbing his friend's hand. "We can not even think about that!"

"Yes, we can, and the first person that we need to see is Wolf. He, too, is a Werewolf who had trouble controlling himself and dreamed of blood. I'm not going further into his past; it's for him to tell. I will alert him to your situation, however, and knowing him, he will definitely take a paw in it. Come, Brendan; let's go to your room."

"Jack, I'm not Wolf! What he can have I can never have, and I will not work on it because to test it would be to endanger her! I will _not_ do that again!"

"I hate to do this, Brendan," Jack said, "but if we work with you and we get to the point that you want to see her and you wolf, I promise you I will knock you out with greatest pleasure. I will not let harm come to her, but I will also not stand idly by and watch you throw your chance away."

"But what if the cane doesn't work the next time? We've been lucky that it has so far, but . . . but if something should happen so that she turns me on so badly that it does not . . . "

"It's never failed yet," Jack replied, "and how many times have I knocked you out? I've lost track."

"As have I," Brendan admitted, "but it may yet fail. We don't know. Will you . . . " He took a deep breath. He'd tried to broach this subject before in the past, and Jack always managed to get away from it. He turned suddenly, placing both hands on Jack's shoulders and looking him straight in his eyes. "If it should fail, if there should be no other way to save her, to save yourself, to save any one else, will you . . . ?"

Jack sighed but continued to hold Brendan's gaze. "I will do what I need to do, Brendan, to stop you. I give you my word on that. I will not willingly let you hurt any one, and though it will kill me, if I have to put you down, I will."

Angel and Wesley had been following behind the two, their attention intent on their conversation though they had not spoken. "And should you put the Captain in danger," Wesley spoke up, "we will stop you . . . regardless of the consequences."

Angel added, "I solemnly vow that if the Captain fails in his attempt to stop you, Brendan, _I will_ stop you."

Brendan's gaze traveled again over his three friends before resting once more on Jack. Finally, he nodded. "Then we can try, . . . and thank you, all." He had to fight to keep the tears from his voice.

* * *

Lorne rounded the corner to the galley only to see a sight that made his mouth fall open and his eyes bug out. "HOLY SHIT!" he yelled. He could not believe what his eyes were trying to tell him: Joxer and the girl were about to couple on the ground! "JOXER, GET OFF OF HER!" he commanded as soon as he was able to find his voice.

"Oh my Gods!" he fluttered, his shock and fright growing when Joxer did not respond. Lorne reached out, his hands shaking, and snatched Joxer off. "Man, do you realize it's a **_child_**! GET OFF OF HER BEFORE THE CAPTAIN SEES!"

"I AM NOT A CHILD," Phoebe bellowed, glaring up at Lorne as though her eyes could cut straight through him. She rose to her feet, then twirled to face him with her hands on her hips. "AND MAYBE I _WANTED_ HIM ON ME!"

"Whatever, miss, but if the Captain sees one of the men on a child, he goes crazy. I won't even go where Captain Xena goes! She's already after Autolycus. Joxer, get in the galley now! Thank the Gods Jack didn't see! Whatever you two want to do later, it's between you, but make it in private, not out here where the whole ship can see!"

Joxer stood still. He had never in his wildest dreams thought that a beautiful woman would kiss him back for as many women as he had attempted to pay court to, every one of them but Meg had slapped him. Meg had taken his money and always given him whatever he wanted in return, but he knew that even she would never have so much as glanced twice at him if he had not paid her. He looked at Phoebe as his mind began to clear. He could not see the child any longer, because it had not been a child that had kissed him but a woman. And, man, what a woman! he thought.

He wished for the thousandth time that he was suave, debonair, and a true man of the world. Maybe then he could have really impressed her, but he knew his shortcomings and realized that once she got back with her sisters, it would all be over. He would never get a chance to be alone with her again. Looking deep into her eyes, he spoke, "I would like to apologize, Miss Halliwell, but I can't. It was the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me!" He could not take his eyes off of her even as he felt Lorne pushing him.

Phoebe's angry eyes turned from Lorne to Joxer, but her expression melted completely as she looked again at him and he spoke to her. "You'd better not apologize," she told him. "There's nothing to apologize for, and that would only ruin it." She cast another glare at Lorne before continuing, "I don't care what anybody says. I'm not a child. I'm a woman. I know what I want," she took a step closer to Joxer, her eyes returning to his, "and what I want is you."

Lorne did not give Joxer a chance to reply but instead pushed him even harder until they were all the way into the galley and safely inside the door. Joxer's arms reached longingly back for Phoebe. "Maybe later?" he called hopefully.

Phoebe grinned. "Whenever we can ditch Mister Green."

Prue looked up as Joxer was pushed into the galley. "What's the matter, Joxer -- you don't want to help in the galley? Isn't that your job?"

"Huh?" he asked.

"Whatever!" Prue snapped. "Get to cutting those potatoes and getting them ready to cook!" She pointed at a huge mound of potatoes. Joxer headed over to the pile and sat down on a small stool. He whistled a little tune to himself even as he picked up the first potato and began to carve it into the shape of Phoebe Halliwell.

It was taking Joxer some time to do it. Prue glanced back over at him as she had not heard even one single potato land in the pot. "Joxer, what are you doing?" She walked over and looked down at what he held in his hand. She blushed red. "OH MY GODS!" she yelled.

Several heads turned in the direction of Prue's shocked exclamation. Piper started to ask her what was wrong when Phoebe spoke before she could. "What?" she demanded, hurriedly making her way over. If somebody else was going to start in on her Joxer --

"Joxer, I said _peel_ the potatoes, not _carve_ the potatoes! Give me that!"

"No, it's mine," Joxer protested, "and I am going to give it to who I made it for!" He lifted it up toward Phoebe.

Phoebe stared at the potato in shock for a moment before realizing that he had taken the time and effort to so carefully carve it into her likeness. "Aw!" She beamed at him. "You did that for _me_?"

"I'm glad you like it," Joxer said with a grin and started peeling the potatoes. He had not been able to help himself. He had had to give her something, but he didn't want the others to get even an inkling of an ideal of what was going on between them. He hoped she really did like it. He continued to whistle his tune.

Phoebe held the potato in her hands as though it was the best treasure in the world. She wanted to kiss him but knew she couldn't with her older sisters both watching.

Prue's mind was whirling. Why would Joxer carve a potato in Phoebe's likeness? She'd talk to the girl later. Had she done something she shouldn't have? She returned to her cornbread, pouring it up into a huge skillet and putting it into the oven to cook.

"Do you need any more help, Piper?" she asked hopefully. She hoped Piper was going to say "no" so that she could find out where Brendan had gotten off to. Maybe they could have that little talk? She knew she had promised Piper not to hunt for him again that day, but she just had to see him to make sure that he was all right. The last time she had seen him, Captain Jack had knocked the crap out of him, and she just knew Brendan hated her now.

Piper looked at her sister. She was about to release her when she noticed the look in her eyes. "Prue, you're not going anywhere. Beans or dishes. Take your pick."

"Darn!" Prue said. "Not beans! You know I can't cook beans! I'll take the dishes. I don't want them, but I'll take them."

"You're not getting what you want," Piper told her with a shake of her head. "You promised me you'd wait until tomorrow!"

Just how the heck did her sister know what she was thinking? Prue wondered. It was not fair of Piper to read her mind! She stomped over to the cabinets and began to look for dishes. They didn't seem to have any. She looked in every cabinet, but no dishes appeared. "Where are the dishes?" she asked Joxer.

"Huh . . . Broken? Gone? Thrown overboard? We've been eating out of cups."

Prue looked again but did not see very many cups. "What do you do, take turns eating behind each other? MEN!"

"Well, yeah, when they eat. We haven't eaten much around here for a while. I'm not a very good cook, and Autolycus can't cook either."

Prue sighed. They were going to starve to death for lack of food! What to do? "Piper? There's not any dishes. They've been eating out of cups, and there's not very many of those. What should I do?"

"_Cups!_" Piper exclaimed, glancing at Lorne for affirmation that Joxer was telling the truth. Lorne shrugged, then nodded, and Piper shook her head in disbelief. "It's a good thing we brought ours with us then!" She pointed to one of the bags that stood in a corner, its contents not yet having been put up. "You can check them out, Prue. Some of them might need to be washed."

Prue went over to the bag, opened it up, and began to remove plates. She was surprised at how many they had and even more so that none of them matched. She carried them over to one of the tables and set about getting a dishpan of water and soap.

Autolycus finally stuck his head in. "I'm hiding," he said, "so I'm not cooking."

"Thank Gods for that!" Lorne exclaimed.

"Maybe not," Prue told Autolycus, "but you're going to help with the dishes."

Autolycus had started to tell Prue that they didn't have any dishes when he realized that there seemed to be stack after stack at the table where she was setting to work. He grinned at her, twirling his mustache with a twinkle in his eyes. "Why don't you tell the truth?" he asked her, striding into the galley. "You just can't stand being away from me, can you, beautiful?"

Prue slapped him upside the head with the dishtowel. "Stop telling lies! I could live a lifetime and never see you again, but you've got a job and you're darn well going to do it! We need your help."

"Aw, come on," he teased her gently, still grinning. "You know that's not _all_ you want from me." He started to reach a hand out toward her waist.

"Touch me and lose it, buster! There's only one man I want, and he isn't you!" She glared furiously at him. "Now get to drying!"

"Mmm. I love a woman who knows how to boss a man around!"

She ignored him as best she could and continued washing the dishes. He finally quieted and began to dry the dishes. He wondered who she had the hots for. After all, if it truly wasn't him, who could it be? Did the bloke even know that she wanted him? There might be some money to be made, he realized, and his mind set off on a course of how he would take bets with the other Pirates on who this woman wanted. He would know the answer the whole time, so of course, he'd get the money. He grinned as he imagined the riches rolling in.

* * *

They reached Brendan's room, and Jack watched as Brendan walked in. "I won't be gone any longer than necessary to talk to Miss Halliwell."

Wes was about to move off back to his lab when Jack called to him. "Wesley, if you'll look in the two bags that I gave you earlier, you'll see one is full of weapons. Those are to go to Will. The second is full of women's stuff and is for Elizabeth. Would you please see that they both get them? Check on Will for me." His voice held longing in it, because he was not able to go himself to check on Will and he had not seen him for a while.

"As soon as I get to my room, Captain, I'll take care of it. I'll come back and let you know how Will is."

"Thanks, Wes."

"You're welcome, Captain, and I'll spare you later if Brendan will allow it." He looked inquiringly at Brendan.

Brendan nodded before stepping backwards into his room. He waited for the door to be shut.

"You can do the physicals later, Brendan," Jack called to him as he closed the door. "I'm sure the crew will be thankful of that." He locked the door, pocketing the key.

Angel took up a position with his back against the door and sat on the deck. He whipped out a knife and a little piece of wood and began to whittle.

Jack glanced at it and was surprised to see that a small bird was forming out of it. He had not known Angel was so artistic. He didn't say anything but hurried off to the galley.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	27. Chapter Twentysix

**Chapter Twenty-six**

Fred had watched through a tiny crack in the door as Wesley had gone off with two other men. The very second they had left her sight, she had rushed out of the door and quickly found her way to the galley. As she burst through its door, she began exclaiming before any one even had a chance to acknowledge her. "Prue, we have ta talk! Ya're nevah gonna believe this! The things they're doin' are _awful_! They -- They're lockin' up men!" Her frantic nerves were easily told from her trembling hands, shaking voice, and thickening accent.

Lorne looked up from where he was mixing the meat that Piper had told him step by step how to put together. "Who are they locking up, Miss Fred, and who are they?"

Prue had reached out and caught Fred's hands in her own. She was worried. Had something happened to Brendan?

Joxer said, "Nothing to worry about. They do it all the time when the moon's full."

"But it's not full yet!" Autolycus protested. "That's not for two more days!" He listened eagerly to find out who was in trouble now.

"Ah -- Ah don't know!" Fred babbled. "W-W-Wes said somethin' about a cage where they lock 'em up when they're bad an' him havin' ta go fix it!" She could feel the others' eyes on her as all but the blonde had turned to look at her.

"That explains everything," Lorne calmly announced, glancing over at Crys. He didn't know for certain, but he thought that she might have had something to do with breaking the cage. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She simply stole his breath away, and he had not gotten up the courage to speak to her again yet. "We have special beings aboard the ship," he finally came up with a way to explain the situation to the women, "and the Captain had Wesley build a cage on both ships to hold the beings when they are having problems."

"What -- What kind o' beings?" Fred asked, her voice quivering, as she looked at Lorne with eyes as round as saucers.

"Oh, nothing much!" Joxer called from where he was peeling potatoes. "Just the usual! You know, Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, and anything else that goes bump in the night!"

Fred's hands fluttered inside Prue's. "Wh-What?" She knew Lorne was a Demon, but he was clearly good. "Are -- Are th-they," she stuttered out, her eyes flying back to Lorne, "li-like y-you o-or a-ar-are th-they e-e-evil?"

"There's no one evil aboard either ship, Miss Fred," Lorne was quick to reassure her, "but there are a lot of us who have trouble controlling our powers, especially when the moon is full. The cages are to protect all of us."

"Bu-But th-they're good then, right?"

"Yes, they're good, but through no fault of their own, they're not able to help themselves. Most of us know how to handle it. We've been trained in case they get out."

"In-in c-ca-case they get _out_!" Her voice rose with each word until she was nearly squeaking. "Bu-But th-the c-ca-cage! D-D-Doesn't th-that -- "

She was broken off by a smooth voice next to her. "Well, yes, it's meant to contain them, but they don't always make it there."

"WHAT!" Her head whirled to look at the speaker, and she found herself face to face with a mustached man with twinkling eyes. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY DON'T ALWAYS GET IN THERE!"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "They sometimes change before they can reach the cage or have a little temper tantrum that can turn deadly."

"D-D-D-D-De-Dea -- !"

He nodded but raised a hand to caress her cheek. "Why, of course, but don't worry. I'll keep you safe." He drew his thumb gently across her lips, and she trembled underneath his touch, too scared and shocked to tell him to get his hand off of her. "I'll protect you, beautiful."

"AUTOLYCUS!" Prue yelled right in his face. "GET OFF OF HER RIGHT NOW!"

A voice came from the doorway. "I've been looking for you, Autolycus."

Autolycus' eyes closed at that particular voice. "No . . . " he whispered. "Not her." His eyes opened, and he glanced at the table, wondering if he might make it under there before she could reach him.

"You're not hiding under there this time!" His eyes darted to Paige, who had made the call. She was sitting next to Piper, and his eyes widened as he realized that Piper again had a knife in her hand.

Xena stood in the doorway, taking in the scene. She was happy that some one was attempting to get dinner going for every one, but she knew her confrontation with Autolycus was long past due. Her happy encounter with Gabrielle had made her starving to death, and her stomach rumbled. She looked around, hoping to spy something to eat, even as Joxer threw something at her. It was an apple. She caught it and bit it before turning and handing the rest of it to Gabrielle, who was standing right behind her. "Do you want him, or do you want me to handle him?"

Gabrielle tossed the apple, catching it repeatedly in the palm of her hand. Her solemn green eyes narrowed in on Autolycus' back, and he could feel her gaze burning into him. "Why don't we handle him together?" As she spoke the last word, her gaze turned back to Xena with a flicker of a smile and a single, raised brow.

"Sounds like a good deal to me," Xena agreed. She reached out and, grabbing him at the back of his shirt, jerked him straight up. She proceeded to make him walk out the door on the tips of his toes. "Sorry, folks, for this inconsiderate jerk! We'll take care of him!" She marched Autolycus quickly out the door. Gabrielle shut the door behind them as she followed suit.

Joxer immediately breathed a sigh of relief when they were gone. "I guess he means well," he said with a grimace, "but he can't be trusted around women or booty."

Paige quirked a brow at Joxer. "Isn't that the same thing?"

"PAIGE!" Piper scolded.

"Well," she insisted with a shrug, "isn't it?"

"No, ma'am, it isn't," Joxer answered in a still, quiet voice, his eyes locked on Phoebe. "Women are the most beautiful treasures on Earth, and booty . . . Well, it's just money. It's kind of hard to live without it, but you won't die without it. But a beautiful woman . . . " He sighed longingly, his eyes never leaving Phoebe. "They can make a pauper a King and a King a pauper!"

His words thrilled Phoebe. She glanced at her sisters. She knew they suspected something, but by Gods, she was sick of having to behave all the time! She missed their Mother, but it wasn't as if she or their Grandmother were still there to make her behave. Her gaze returned to Joxer, and she began to walk closer to him, her hips moving one at a time. She walked around him and slid a hand over his shoulders. "Why don't you tell me more about that?" she requested in a low whisper.

"I-I can't right now, M-Miss Phoebe. I don't want to anger your sisters or make them think that I am no better than Autolycus. I might be a pauper, but you make me feel like a King. I like feeling like a King instead of a bumbling idiot although I'm thankful I'm a bumbling idiot because otherwise I would never have met you." He grinned up at her.

Prue caught the reaction between the two but didn't say anything. She could see the love shining out of Joxer's eyes, and although she would have picked some one a lot different for her sister, she could tell he loved her a lot already. She only hoped that she would one day see as much love shining out of Brendan's eyes for her as was now coming out of Joxer's for Phoebe.

Prue knew fully well that Brendan was one of the ones who had to spend time in the cage. Would they let her get near him during that time? Maybe she could take him something to eat? Nah. They probably wouldn't. She shook her head sadly. He wouldn't know her any way if he was wolfed out.

It wasn't fair! Phoebe managed to get a guy who was only a bumbling idiot; he didn't wolf out when she touched him. She, being the oldest, should have had such good luck, but she was still happy with Brendan's looks, charm, and sexiness. That was one thing Joxer did not have. He might be good with words and be able to smile at Phoebe and touch her without wolfing out, but he still didn't have the sex appeal that her Brendan did! Why, he had merely to look at her, and she just melted all over! She wanted to be chocolate just so he could eat her up! Naughty, naughty! she thought to herself. Did he even like chocolate? She glanced at Piper and wondered if she was thinking the same kind of thoughts.

Piper was staring at Phoebe in shock, her hands frozen in place where she had been working on the biscuits. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her! That _couldn't_ be _her_ little sister, who was still just a child, moving on a man! Not just any man at that, but _Joxer_! Phoebe wouldn't want him even if she were old enough to be interested in such.

Feeling eyes on her, Piper turned to look at Prue, and her mouth fell open in growing shock at the dazed look on her older sister's face. She heard a sigh next to her elbow, and her attention moved to her other sister. "Yep," Paige said with a nod. "They've both got it bad."

"I don't understand," Piper whispered to her, shaking her head.

Paige quirked an eyebrow at her. "Come on. You do, too! I saw you looking at Cole!"

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Well, perhaps I did," Piper relented reluctantly, "but that's another matter! Phoebe's not old enough!"

"We're older than you think, Piper. You're still looking at us as kids," Paige gently told her, "but we're not any more." She reminded her of their age and watched the surprise register in her older sister's eyes.

"But -- "

She nodded. "Yes, we're your little sisters. We always will be, but we're just as much into it as Prue and you are. More so actually," Paige admitted.

"More so?" Piper repeated worriedly, her brows lifting slightly.

Paige nodded. Looking back at Phoebe, she told her, hoping she wouldn't kill them, "He won't be the first one."

"WHAT!" Piper thundered out in shock before she could stop herself.

Lorne was gazing intently at Piper, waiting for her to tell him what to do next. He was not really paying much attention to what was going on in the room, although he knew there was too much going on in there. The vibrations were killing him! "Miss Piper, what do I do next?"

"Wh-What?" Piper asked. Her ears heard him, but her shocked mind did not register his words. Lorne started to open his mouth to repeat his question, but she continued on, never truly noticing him. "Paige, you can't be serious!"

Paige nodded insistently. "Yes, I am, and she's not the only one." She gestured with her head to Lorne. "Mister Green wants you."

"Mister Green can do something else right now! Paige Halliwell, you can _not_ be telling me that -- that you are -- are not -- are -- ! **_PRUE!_**"

Prue's mouth had fallen open at Paige's admission, and she had been staring at Phoebe and Paige in shock. She finally found her voice when Piper called to her in desperation. "When! Mom and Grams were always watching you two! How!"

"Remember that little school picnic for the younger grades?" Paige asked.

Piper nodded mutely.

"Then."

"Oh my _Gods_!" Prue gasped out. "You had a group orgy!"

Fred was sitting at one of the tables. She was so startled by the sisters' conversation that she did even realize that she was sitting next to a lioness. Her paled face was turned to the sisters, and her disbelieving eyes kept darting between them.

Crystal had been ignoring everything else, but Prue's last word demanded her attention. She blinked, coming to awareness of the situation around her. "Wh-What?" she asked quietly. Blue cooed, but she again ignored him as her eyes swept the room. The first person they fell on was Lorne, and her gaze seemed to become stuck on him. Why had she not noticed how handsome he looked in green before?

Lorne's startled eyes were drawn immediately to Crys, and his tongue grew dry in his throat. Gods, she was beautiful! He knew she'd never look at him yet she was doing precisely that! This was one Hell of a conversation going on around them and he felt as though he really shouldn't be eavesdropping, so he blocked them out, moving slowly over to stand by Crys.

He stuttered, at a loss for the first time as to what to say. He wanted to make a good impression, but he didn't know how to go about it. He'd never been very good with women but felt that this one really mattered, so he said the first thing that actually managed to come out of his mouth. "Beautiful day, ain't it?" he asked, realizing even as the words came out how inane they would sound.

"Day?" Crys repeated, her surprise registering on her face. Why, they could not see so much as one ray of sunlight! It was then that she heard the redhead's voice again.

"Of course it wasn't an orgy, Prue! What would make you think that?" Paige gasped. "Did _you_ -- !"

Crys blushed at the girl's words, and it was then that she thought she realized Lorne's problem. "Perhaps we should give them the galley for a bit?"

"Please!" Lorne gasped out. "A breath of fresh air might help." He felt as though his collar was choking him, and he reached up a finger to loosen it.

She nodded and slipped from the chair, relieved to be out of the galley for more reasons than just the sisters' shocking debate. Her gaze was still on Lorne, and she realized that he must be supposed to be on kitchen duty. She smiled reassuringly at him as Blue settled on her shoulder. "You can tell Angel you were working on getting me calmed down enough to eat should you be caught." She started to step toward the door.

It was at just that moment that Cole shimmered in. It had taken him a while to take care of Jack's rum and go undetected while doing so. He was just in time to hear none other than Piper Halliwell's sweet mouth open in the most surprising words he could imagine coming from her. "Of _course_ she didn't have an orgy, Paige!" His mouth fell open, but he closed it quickly and shimmered out of the galley, hoping he had gone undetected.

* * *

Lorne had followed Crys outside, opening the door for her. He was surprised as to how late it had gotten. He looked around but did not spy a chair for her to sit on. "I hope they're not like that all the time," Lorne said. "Miss Piper's supposed to be teaching me how to cook, but I don't think I can handle all that . . . talking."

"By the way, we had a rough introduction, and I would like to reintroduce myself." His eyes locked with hers as he made a little bow. "My name is Krevlornswath of the Deathswok clan. You can call me Lorne, and I am very pleased to meet you and your friends." He smiled at her. Was it his imagination or did she grow more beautiful by the minute?

Her breath caught in her throat at his dazzling smile. "I am Crystal Frost," she told him in a gentle voice, "but my friends call me Crys." She stepped closer to him, her eyes never leaving his. She would have never thought that red eyes could be so enchanting, but she could not tear her gaze away from his.

Blue cooed softly from where he sat, perched on her shoulder. "Blue, don't be silly," she told him, barely giving the dragon any notice at all. "Pink dust, really! You've already done so much damage! Can't you at least behave while _Lorne's_ around?"

His frustration with her was steadily increasing, and she gave a soft cry as he jumped up and down on her shoulder. "_Blue!_" she scolded, reaching up a hand to swat him. He sailed off of her shoulder to confront empty air. His wings beat frantically, and he cooed loudly in a rapid succession.

"Blue, that is _enough_!" Crystal snapped at him, but her gaze turned immediately away from him and back to Lorne. "I am sorry," she told him. "I just don't know what's wrong with him today. He's acting so crazy . . . " She shook her head, and her long, blonde hair shimmered around her in a golden cascade.

Never did they see the Goddess dressed in pink that the three animals were staring at nor the pink dust that she had sprinkled over them. Cindy and Elvira were watching the Golden Goddess, their tails twitching, but neither made a sound as she pressed her finger to her lips, made a shushing noise, and vanished.

Blue cocked his head to one side, clearly stunned. "Coo?" he questioned the suddenly empty air. Could that truly have been Aphrodite?

Lorne moved until he was an air's breath away from Crys. "Are you okay?" he asked in deep concern, worried because she had cried out.

She nodded but couldn't help glancing at her shoulder. "I'm just . . . surprised," she answered quietly, eyeing the little holes Blue's talons had made in her dress. "He's never behaved this way before. He's always so careful to be gentle, but . . ." She shook her head, her voice trailing off.

Lorne couldn't seem to help himself as he reached out and stroked her hair back from her shoulder. There appeared to be a few tiny droplets of blood on her shoulder. "Maybe we should get you some medical care? It could be that he's filling the effects of the full moon coming; you get a bigger dose when you're out at sea. What was he saying about pink dust? I couldn't quite make it out."

She released a soft breath of air as his gentle touch sent sparks shooting all the way through her body. "I'm not sure either. He claimed that some one was throwing dust at us, but I certainly didn't see anything. Did you?" Her eyes searched his.

"I didn't see any one," Lorne replied, "but there are beings that one can't normally see. I haven't heard of any of them sprinkling pink dust, though . . . unless . . . I wonder if it could be from that fairy?"

She quirked a questioning brow at him. "Fairy?"

"Yes. Jack has a friend, another Captain, who claims to be always bothered by fairies throwing dust at him."

"It couldn't be a fairy," she told him, confusion creasing her brow.

"We wouldn't have seen them if it was. They're so tiny that you'll miss them unless you know what to look for and are paying very close attention."

"I grew up exposed to such, though," she explained. "I would have been sure to see her."

He listened to her words in amazement. "You grew up around Faeries? Where? I've never actually seen one myself, although I know they're there."

"Up North," she answered.

"There are a lot of faeries up North? Where up at North?"

"At the North Pole." She stopped, her eyes widening at the admission she'd just made.

"_The_ North Pole!" Lorne exclaimed. He knew she was an Ice Elemental and that she would have had to have come from somewhere cold but the _North Pole_! "Is there -- ?" he almost asked, his voice trailing off at first and then finally coming out a little stronger. "Are there really reindeers that can fly?"

She nodded but misinterpreted the expression in his eyes. Her gaze fell from his, her head turning to look down at the deck below their feet. "You probably think I'm rather insane now."

"Why? Do you think _I'm_ insane?" Lorne questioned. "I'm a Demon. I think it's great that you've actually been to the North Pole and saw the reindeer! Is there a Santa Claus?" he finally asked the question that was driving him crazy. He hoped she wouldn't laugh at him.

Her eyes rose cautiously back up to his. She smiled slowly, realizing that he was serious and truly did not think her crazy. "I've more than just been there," she told him. "I grew up there, and yes, the legends are true."

"You've actually _seen_ Santa Claus!"

Though her smile stayed in place, sadness touched her eyes. "He was like a grandfather to me."

"I know you must miss your home. I wish I had some place like that that I could return to. They must miss you terribly."

She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "No," she spoke quietly, her voice barely audible. "They probably never even think about me, and you're wrong on the other, as well. I can never return there." Why was she telling him this? She shouldn't have even admitted coming from the North Pole, and yet, she just couldn't shut up!

"But why, Crys? I could take you there. Jack would, too."

"I . . . " her gaze shifted again from his, " . . . am not allowed."

"You're _banned_ from your country? How horrible!" He paused before admitting, "So am I. I could never go home again, even if I wanted to. My Mother hates me."

"What!" Crys queried, her widened, ice blue eyes snapping back to his in surprise. "How could your mother hate you?"

"She hates me so much that the last time she saw me, she had my head cut off."

Crys gave a sharp gasp but could not think of a single word to say. Her eyes flew frantically over his neck, looking for any sign of where his head had been sewn back on. "But -- But you seem to be fine!"

"Angel found me and got my body and head reunited. That old bitch had paid some one to destroy my body, but they hadn't gotten around to it. Thank the Gods for small favors! If they had destroyed my body, I'd be dead now. I know you don't believe me, but it's true. You could ask Angel."

"I don't think you would lie, Lorne, let alone make something up like _that_. I've just . . . never heard of such before, and believe me, with a background like mine, that's saying _a lot_." She hesitated a moment before raising a hand up to gently touch his neck. "How did you survive?" she asked, concern shining in her eyes.

"I'm not really sure. What Angel said it was was that as long as my body was intact, my head would exist, but how they rejoined, I have no ideal! Even Doctor Doom couldn't explain it! See, in the place I come from, things are not beautiful and beings are not kind. They are evil to each other, and they hate music. I love music, and I've always been inclined to be good and kind. My Mother always told me that I was weak like my Father who she ate. She was planning on eating my head." He shuddered at the thought.

"My Gods!" Crys couldn't help exclaiming. "I thought nobody could be worse than my uncle, but at least he's never eaten his family! Killed, yes, but _eaten_ -- !" She stopped, realizing what she had said, and her hand flew to her mouth. Why did she keep doing this, telling him so much! If she kept going, she'd place his life in even more danger than Blue had put Angel's!

Lorne reached for her hand and held it gently. "There are a few other things you need to know about me. One is that Elvira almost killed me today. My heart's not where human hearts are. It's in my left buttcheek." He waited for that to sink in.

Crys was shaking her head in disbelief. "You undoubtedly have the strangest physiology I have ever heard of!" she finally managed to get out. "But she didn't mean you any harm. I-I'm sure she didn't know . . . "

"It's okay, Crys; I understand," he assured her with a small smile. "She didn't know, but now you all know," he said, looking at the others to make sure that they were listening. "The second thing is that I am an empath. Do you know what that is?"

She started to nod, but her head froze in the stride of the gesture. Her eyes widened slightly. Had he been reading her?

"I didn't purposefully read any one in the room," he spoke as though in answer to her unspoken question, "but the emotions were getting so out of hand in there that I couldn't help picking up on them. I wasn't able to get a clear reading, but they were about to overpower me." He gently caressed her cheek. "Why are you so frightened?" he asked. "I won't let anything hurt you." He gazed at her with such intense love that she couldn't help but to feel it.

His gentle caress set her very soul to quivering, and the way he looked at her, with such love shining in every inch of his face and eyes, made her lips ache with the strangest feeling. She wanted to kiss him, she realized, but she knew better. "Lorne," she told him, speaking both softly and slowly and having to fight her emotions to be able to choose her words, "I can't . . . "

"You can't . . . or you're afraid to tell me?" he asked, continuing to stroke her cheek.

She raised a hand to cup his, stilling it in mid-stroke. She hated to stop his touch but knew she had to if she were to keep what little control she had left. "It would put you in danger." She paused for a brief second, then added, "You're already in danger just by standing here with me."

"Then may my life be forever in danger, because I want to be near you and I . . . " His voice trailed off even as his lips reached for hers. He could no more stop himself from kissing this beautiful creature than he could have stopped a hurricane. The emotions that her delicious taste sent spiraling through him were so intense that, once again, he felt as though he was drowning. This time, however, he didn't care, because he wanted to drown in her.

She stood as still as a statue as his lips touched hers, but as emotions unlike any she'd ever felt before swept from his kiss throughout her entire being, setting her very core on fire for him, she began kissing him back. Her lips parted under his, her tongue gently probing for permission. Her hand moved from his to go to his face even as her other hand caressed his chest.

They blended together, the world around them completely forgotten as molten lava claimed their very souls.

* * *

Jack made his way to the galley, and as he turned to walk down the side of the ship where it was located, his startled eyes encountered Lorne locked deeply in an embrace with Crys. He breathed a deep sigh. He knew he'd never feel the pleasure that they were now experiencing, and he did everything he could to be quiet and not disturb them. Reaching out, he turned the door to the galley and heard a cacophony of women's raised voices discussing sex and orgies. They grew suddenly quiet at his appearance, none of them daring to meet his gaze.

"How's the food coming, Miss Piper?" he asked to break the air.

Piper glared at Paige before turning to the Captain. "We will have the appetizers shortly, sir. We just seem to be enduring one . . . " she glanced meaningfully at her younger sisters, " . . . _interruption_ after another."

His voice came reassuringly. "Well, carry on then, and may I see you for a few minutes, Miss Prue, _alone_?" He stressed the word even as he heard Piper ask in confusion about where Lorne had gone.

"Yes, sir," Prue replied and prepared to follow him outside.

Before exiting, Jack turned to look at Piper. "I would give him just a few more minutes, Miss Piper. He's . . . busy at the moment." In fact, he thought to himself, he had never seen Lorne so busy before, and he was happy to see him that busy. He followed Prue out and walked over to the railing where she was standing, looking out to sea.

"As Brendan's closest relative, I have had to take it upon myself to come and talk with you, Miss Halliwell," he said in his deep, calm voice. "What are your intentions toward Brendan? I need to know. Brendan has a lot of problems; I won't stand by and see him hurt."

Prue looked at the Captain. "I . . . love him," she answered. "I don't know how it happened so quickly. I wasn't expecting it or looking for it, but that one brief moment we had before he wolfed felt _so_ right." She turned around and looked accusingly at him as though it was his fault.

Jack thought that she was a lovely young woman and he was happy she was in love with Brendan. "It's not my right to tell you all of Brendan's story, but I will tell you enough so that you can understand what's going on. A long time ago, and yet not so long ago for it feels like only yesterday when I found him, he was a prisoner of a really wicked woman. She abused him and did all manner of unspeakable things to him, trying to make him wolf out and kill for her. No matter what she did to him, he fought back against her by refusing to do what she was trying to force him to do, yet he still did not attack her savagely. He fears that he is a very weak person when, in fact, I think he's one of the strongest I've ever known."

Prue gazed intently at Jack, listening to every word. Jack continued, "I think that Brendan will love deeply when he finally lets himself go, but he holds such a tight hold on himself that it's as though the boy's trying to explode." Prue nodded; she had noticed what a tight grip Brendan seemed to have on himself. She said nothing, however, but merely stood and listened.

"He had no indication that you were excited by him before your encounter which caught him quite by surprise. He can not control his wolf, and he fears that it will hurt you. He spoke of going away, and I simply can not allow that, Miss Halliwell. He means too much to me, so I will have to ask you to stay away from him."

Prue could not stand the thought that Brendan would go away from his family and friends simply to avoid her! "Captain, I love him. I don't want to cause him any harm or anguish, but I don't want to lose him either!"

Jack gazed into her eyes that were now filling with tears and knew that she spoke the truth. "It is going to be a long, hard process, but Brendan does care for you or at least he would if he'd allow himself. I got him to admit that. There is one that might be able to help him to control himself. In the meantime, I want your word that you will stay away from him."

"When the time is right, or he feels that it might be right, you will be allowed to see him under a heavily armed escort but not alone. I want your word that you will not sneak around and try to see him. It is for his own good as well as yours. Your mere presence makes the wolf want to come out which, in some ways, I see as a good sign. Brendan's a virgin, even though that bitch had him for a long time. She could not draw as much power from a non-virgin as she could from a virgin, and like I already told you, she's pure evil."

"I will protect him against anything, Captain Jack," Prue vowed, "even from my unwanted attentions."

"Oh, they're wanted," Jack assured her. "He just can't handle them. It's the first time I have ever actually been able to get Brendan to change his mind even a little bit. What he feels for you is strong enough that he is willing to work on getting the wolf under control. What you've got to figure out, Miss Prue, is if you want to wait for him and rather you want to do what you can when you can for him."

Prue glanced at her feet first. She wanted to yell out to the world that she wanted Brendan in the worst kind of way, but she knew that she would have to have something that she was not very long on. That was patience. She was willing to work on it, though. "I will do anything I can for him," she promised, gazing into Jack's eyes. "I want to be with him as soon as you feel it's safe, and I don't care if the whole world looks on! I just want to feel his arms around me, his lips on mine! I love him! Just please don't make it too long!"

Jack had to look away, because he couldn't stand to see a woman crying as Prue was. He very awkwardly slipped his arms around her and patted her back. "Dry your tears, Miss Halliwell. I have a very good feeling that between all of us, we are going to beat that wolf, but we all have to be strong and patient."

He did not tell her what would happen should the consequences get out of hand, because he did not want to think about it. The very thought of hitting Brendan hurt him, but he did what he had to do. He would talk to Brendan again and see if perhaps he could control himself enough to talk through a window or something to Prue. It would do them both good to have time together. "I won't pressure him into anything, but know that I will do whatever I can to help you two be happy together."

"Thank you, Captain Jack," she whispered as she swiped her tears away.

"Call me Jack, Miss Prue. I'm only a man. I'm not the Captain; he's just my title. I'm merely doing what I can to take care of my family, and now you're one of them too." He slipped off before she could say anything else, leaving her to mull over what they had just talked about. He headed straight back for Brendan's office.

* * *

Wesley returned to his lab. Looking at both bags, he wondered whether he should see Will or Elizabeth first. Maybe Will? he thought. If he could get Will up and going, perhaps it would lift Jack's spirits? It had been a rough day on all concerned, and he could tell that Jack was getting depressed. Once he slowed down, it would be a quick descent, and there was no rum to help him fight it. Will would be just the medicine Jack needed, so Wesley picked up the bag that was intended for Will and headed for the Pearl.

At the railing, he grabbed a rope and almost flew across. He really loved the ropes that Jack had installed all around both ships. It gave one a feeling of flying, and if there was one thing Wes wanted to do desperately, it was to fly. He knew he'd never get off the ground other than by way of the ropes, so he always enjoyed the trip over. He reached the Captain's door and knocked on it. "Will?"

* * *

As Jack neared Brendan's office, he called to Angel. "Thanks, Angel, for watching Brendan for me. Now I need you to do something else. I know you're dying to get back to the Princess, but I've got one more little favor. Could you please tell Wolf that I need to see him immediately?"

"Just as soon as I can find him, Jack," Angel replied, "and you're welcome." He slipped away even as he heard Jack knock on the door.

"Brendan, it's me. Do you need anything?"

"How did she take it?" came the soft reply through the door.

"She says she's willing to wait for you no matter how long it takes and that she wants to be with you as soon as she can be. I told her I didn't know when that would be, but maybe . . . Do you think you could handle talking through the window to her? You couldn't see each other, but at least you could hear her voice and she could hear yours."

"Not yet," Brendan told him. "Jack, I almost choked Angel not too long ago simply for appearing interested in her. There's no telling what I'd do if I were confronted with her right now -- in any manner."

"Okay, but when you're ready, let me know." Jack sat down on the deck, his back pressed against Brendan's door.

"I will," Brendan called back, "and thanks."

"You're welcome, Brendan. If you need anything, just tell me."

"I will," Brendan assured him. The sound of his rumbling stomach filled the room, but knowing that there was still not any food to be had for Jack would have brought him some if there was, he did not speak again.

* * *

Will had already been up and had been about to leave the cabin in search of Jack when a knock and voice sounded at the door. It took him a moment to recognize the voice of Doctor Doom as it had been so long since he'd last heard it, but the second he did, he strode quickly over to the door and opened it.

Wes' mouth fell open as he took in Will's appearance. How had the boy even been able to get to the door to open it? He knew he had been at death's door earlier that day, but now he could not even see a spot of blood on him although his clothes were still ragged. "Will?" He walked inside and turned around to look at him. "I thought you were almost dead? What happened?"

Will spread his hands apart even as he shrugged. "Evidently I live."

"Jack didn't say anything about your getting healed. He just told me to bring these things to you."

Will glanced questioningly at the bag. He knew it couldn't be food and ignored the growling of his stomach. "Where is Jack?" he asked instead, looking back up at Wesley.

"He's guarding Brendan at the moment. He's had one of his spells. Jack said these things belong to you." He ignored Will's rumbling stomach and his own, as well. "The new cooks are attempting to get some food. If you're able to travel, I'll wait for you and we'll go back over to the Witch together." He was eager to see what was in the bag and wondered why Will was not looking into it.

"I guess you could leave it there until I can find out from Jack where I'm staying at," Will told Wes, gesturing to the bag he still held. He didn't know what was in it, and though he was curious, his longing to be near Jack again, to talk to him now that he was conscious and could let him know that he was, far eclipsed his need or want for anything else.

"You're not going to look in the bag?" Wes questioned. "Whatever's in there must be pretty important. Jack stole it for you."

"He did _what_!" Will nearly screeched, his eyes widening in shock.

"At least, I think he stole it. He didn't say if he bought or stole it, but we're Pirates so I figured that he stole it."

Will shook his head. If there was any chance that Jack had stolen it, he didn't need to get into it and should make him take it back. He stopped for a moment, surprise slowly dawning over his face. Then again, he _was_ the son of a Pirate and was determined to live a Pirate's life from that day on, so why should it matter if it was stolen? "Why, heck, it doesn't!" he answered his own question aloud. He strode over to Wes. "Give me that bag, matey."

It was so unusual for Will to talk piratical talk that Wes couldn't help laughing. He handed the bag to him, curiosity causing him to watch Will's every movement.

Will opened the bag, peered into its depth, and almost stopped breathing at what he saw. Slowly, he withdrew one sword while letting the rest of the bag fall, completely forgotten, to the deck. The sword he held was one that he had made himself but had never belonged to him. It was the Governor's sword. Letting an oath slip from his lips, he looked back up at Wesley with dire urgency in his eyes. "You said Jack's guarding Brendan?"

"Yes, and he won't leave his side for a while yet."

"In the cage or somewhere else?"

"He's at the med-room."

Without another word, Will tossed the Governor's sword to the bag and raced from the room, barely even taking the time to open the door. Wes followed in his wake, wondering what was going through the young man's mind. He figured, from seeing the sword, that the stuff in the bag had belonged to the Governor. He knew what Jack had done just as Angel and Brendan had known, but he would never have knowingly told a living soul. The Governor's murder was something that had needed doing. It was a long time overdue, and only Jack had been able to do it. Jack had done like he usually did and done what had to be did. Wesley followed right on Will's heels. He prayed that Will was not about to attack Jack over what he had done to the Governor.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	28. Chapter Twentyseven

**Chapter Twenty-seven**

Jack had not had sleep for several days and was completely exhausted from all his exertions of the day. He had not meant to fall asleep, but his head had fallen back against the door and, seconds later, he had slipped into slumber.

Will's heart was pounding as his footsteps thudded across the deck. He dove around people and objects alike, taking notice of nothing as he swiftly made his way to Brendan's office. He came to a halt so suddenly that Wesley almost collided with his back. Jack sat in front of Brendan's door, his clothes covered with blood, and Will's heart fell. Jack had done exactly what he had feared.

Dropping beside Jack, Will shook him. "Jack! Jack, wake up!"

"Huh?" Jack responded groggily. "Brendan?" He was not expecting Will to be in his face, let alone to be angry. "Will?" he asked, a look of confusion on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Jack, tell me you didn't do what I think you did!" Will pleaded. "Tell me the blood all over you doesn't belong to who I think it does!"

Jack looked down at his clothes. He had forgotten he was covered in blood. Oops, he thought. That's a Hell of a way for Will to see me! He had wanted to look so nice and fine for his beloved. He had started out looking that way in the outfit he had bought for Will's wedding, but the rest of the day had gone to Hell in a handbasket. The clothes he had on now were a far cry from what he had started out with, and even they were ruined.

He was still more asleep than he was awake. Why was Will angry? he wondered. "Will, are you okay?" he queried in a concerned voice. "I can't tell you what I don't know. You haven't accused me of anything yet." His voice rose as he woke up more. "Who do you think I've got on me?"

"Jack, tell me you didn't kill the Governor!"

Jack looked at him with a bemused smile on his face. "Can't tell you that, Will. I have the blood of a swine on me, and I must stink to the high heavens! Me thinks I need a bath!" He got shakily to his feet and backed up against the ship railing.

"Why are you so angry, Will? I thought you'd be glad to see me." His voice sounded as though he had been drinking a lot of rum when in truth he had not had a drop but longed for one desperately. He looked down at himself in disgust and, being not fully awake, he stumbled and fell backwards over the ship's railing.

For the second time that day, Will reacted before his thoughts could catch up to him. He saw Jack fall and sprang into action, running across the deck to the railing and taking a sailing leap into the air. His boots did not even brush the railing as he dove right over it and into the water after Jack.

Jack came up gasping for air, the water having cleared his brain, and looked at Will again. "Damn! I really do need a bath!" he muttered. "Now you want to run that past me again? Why are you so mad at me?" He looked at Will in bewilderment. What bloke had been stupid enough to tell Will that he had killed the Governor?

"Jack, please," Will spoke, struggling to keep from begging though he was relieved that he appeared to be coming back to his senses now, "tell me the truth. You said it was a swine, and I suppose if it is him, that is the truth. But regardless, I'm sure the swine had a name."

"Most of the scum of the Earth does have a name, Will," Jack said in all seriousness, "and I can not tell you a lie. After what he did to you, I paid him back. You can hate me for it, but I did it and I'm glad I killed him. He had to pay for all the people he's hurt, Will. He's been getting away with it for a long time, but when he touched you, something went crazy in me. When I saw what had happened to you because of him, it was more than I could bare. I killed the bastard, and I'm glad I did it!"

"DAMN IT, JACK!" Will hit the water in his anger, but it only splashed against both of them, soaking them even more. "The entire city's going to be after you now!"

"It doesn't matter any more, Will; Port Royal's gone. So much has happened today, but evil destroyed its own. Some of us almost didn't make it out of there. I knew the town was corrupt. I just didn't know how bad it was."

Will looked at him in surprise. "What happened," he asked, "and did everybody make it out?"

"I don't know where to begin, Will, but I think it needs to wait until we get out of this water. I could use a good bath. I feel so dirty, and I'm so tired all of a sudden! It's been such a long day!" His mind was rambling even as a rope was thrown down to them and Wes' concerned face hung over the railing.

"Jack, you want to be getting out of there now?"

"Might be a good ideal, Wes. Oh, I almost forgot, Will. A friend of yours is here." He grabbed a hold of the rope and held it out to Will. "You go first."

Wolverine had managed to come out and leave 'Ro for a few minutes to smoke. She had finally given up corralling the winds and was resting. The poor woman was plumb tuckered out. He had come out just in time to hear Wes trying to coax Jack to come out of the water. He threw another rope down. "Grab a hold of that, Jack, and I'll pull you out."

"Not till Will gets out," Jack protested.

"You'll both get pulled out at the same time if you'll grab a hold of that, Jack." Wolverine gazed at the man that he loved as a son and could not believe how crappy he had come to look in one day. The poor boy had been through Hell. He looked at Will. "Grab a hold of the other one, Will. Show him you're coming out or he'll never get out of there."

Will nodded, grabbing Wesley's rope with one hand. He was glad that Wolverine had shown up with another rope, because there was no way that he would have gone ahead of Jack in the condition his love was in. "I'm not leaving you down here, Jack. You're too tired. You take Wolverine's, and I'll go up Wesley's."

"Go ahead, Wolverine; pull me up," Jack called without even making an effort to get out. He just held onto the rope. Wolverine pulled him so hard that he was all but thrown onto the deck like a landed fish. Jack lay where he fell.

Wesley pulled Will up, but he also climbed up the rope, making the process faster and keeping from putting quite as much strain on Wes. Will's head poked over the railing to see Jack continuing to lay on the deck. He wanted to rush immediately to him but knew that he could not. Looking at the other men, he asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"Well, let me see," Wolverine started. "It might be easier to say what ain't wrong with him. I would say that he is totally exhausted and has had one Hell of a day. He probably just needs a couple hours' o' shut-eye which he's not going to let himself get." A snore answered him in denial, and all three men turned to look at Jack in surprise.

Will shook his head and started forward at the same time as Wolverine. He beat Wolverine to Jack, however, and picked him up. Toting him carefully though he appeared to be slung precariously over his shoulder, Will carried Jack to the cabin. He was about to lay him down when Wolverine, who he had not realized had accompanied him, commanded, "Don't put him on the bed with his wet clothes on; strip him."

"Huh!" Will's head jerked up at him as he looked at the older man in shock.

"Oh for Gods' sakes!" Wolverine growled. He began to strip Jack even while Will was still holding him; he noticed with an amused grin that the boy shut his eyes. "Now put him in the bed."

Will reached out a hand and patted the bed blindly to ascertain that it was indeed the right place before finally relinquishing Jack. He straightened and turned back to Wolverine; only then, with his back facing Jack's naked body, did Will reopen his eyes. He prayed that Wolverine wouldn't say anything.

"Ya know he wouldn't have bit ya, Will, an' he would have done the same for you."

"I know he would have, but he deserves his privacy."

"Well, he just didn't get it, son," Wolverine growled. "It's more important that he doesn't catch his death o' cold. We'd better get outta here and let him rest for a little while." Wolverine reached out and pulled a blanket over Jack's lower part. He didn't figure it would stay on long as Jack was one who hardly ever covered even on the coldest nights.

An anguished snore followed their retreating forms. It sounded for all the world like Jack was trying to gobble something up, and it took everything Wolverine could do to keep from laughing out loud. He picked Jack's discarded clothes up with his claws. "These are fit for nothing but the trashpile," he explained to Will as he tossed them into a nearby barrel. The men then walked out together, leaving Jack to his slumber.

* * *

They paid no heed to anything around them for they were completely lost in the world of sensations they had created in each other. Their hands roamed each other's bodies freely as their kiss grew steadily hotter.

Suddenly, Lorne felt his pants being tugged. One of his hands reached around to see what it was only to connect with Elvira's nose. For the first time, his other senses kicked in, and he quickly released Crys as he heard the growling of her animals. "What in the Hell's wrong with you animals! You must not approve of me, but Crys seems to." He still held her in his arms but did not continue with the kiss.

She blinked up at him as the daze of her thoughts slowly cleared. Her heart was still hammering in her chest as she began to hear her trio's voices raised in warnings and complaints. She continued to gaze up at Lorne even as Cindy let out an especially ferocious growl, reminding her how foolish she was being. It was only then that the full realization of what she had just done hit her. She had kissed Lorne, and though her body was still thrilling from it and her lips longed to drink of him again with a need as desperate as though she was dying of thirst, she knew it had been a mistake . . . a dreadful mistake that would ensure his death. Tears filled her eyes at that thought. "Oh Gods!" She started to pull away from him.

Lorne felt her pushing away at him, and he released her. Oh my Gods! he thought. She's finally come to her senses and doesn't want me touching her! "Crys?" he asked her worriedly, refusing to completely let go. "What's wrong?"

"I -- I shouldn't have!" The words tumbled from her mouth. Elvira, hearing her mistress' panicked exclamation and knowing that Crys had finally returned to her senses, released Lorne's pants. "Oh Gods! He'll -- He'll -- " Crystal couldn't bring herself to say the words. Tears streaked down her cheeks. "Oh Gods!" Forcing herself to snatch away from him, she turned and fled.

His anguished cry of "CRYS, PLEASE DON'T GO!" carried behind her even as his hands clutched at the empty air where she had been only moments before. Crystal's animals followed her as swiftly as she had fled from him. Lorne's mind reeled at the sensations that still tingled his body. He breathed a deep sigh, turned, and headed back toward the galley. He wasn't sure what had just happened but was very thankful nonetheless. For the first time in his life, he had been kissed by a beautiful woman even if she had finally come to her senses and ran like Hell from him. He held the memory of her kiss to his heart where he would treasure it forever.

He put his hand on the galley door but hated to open it for fear that the Halliwells would still be discussing rather loudly the subject he had fled from. He would have liked to have followed Crys, but he knew better for when he caught her, she would only slap him or, worse yet, yell and scream at him to keep his green filth away from her. He went into the galley to see that, in his absence, Ororo had arrived and succeeded in quieting the sisters. He gave them a small smile and returned to where he had left his bowl only to find it gone. He looked at Piper questioningly.

"You did fine," Piper answered him as soon as she caught his questioning look. "The appetizers are cooking now." She paused, then added considerably sheepishly, "And I must apologize for earlier. Paige's announcement just came as such a . . . such a shock . . . " She tried to explain, shaking her head even as her embarrassed gaze fell to the meat she was currently working on.

"Don't worry about it, Miss Piper. I've heard worst conversations." He sniffed the air, and a delicious aroma filled his nostrils. "If they taste half as good as they smell, I can hardly wait to eat one!" He wondered what the final product would look like.

"Oh, they _do_!" Paige, who still stood nearby Piper and seemed to be in a much better mood, quickly assured him.

"What do we do next?" Lorne asked, hoping that it was something that would keep his hands busy and his mind occupied and off of a certain blonde.

Piper had walked over and picked up a small bottle. Turning back to Lorne, she told him, "You can help me with the chicken. We need to get it torn up and add a few ingredients."

He looked in a pan that was sitting next to Piper. He saw about twenty birds in there. They were all plucked and looked as if they had already been cooked. "What do we pull off of there, and how do we tear it up?" he questioned.

Piper set the vial down next to the bowl before picking up one of the chickens. "You use your fingers to tear it up," she began to explain, "but you only want the good meat." She tore off a piece and held it up to him so that he could get a good look at it. "That's fat," she told him, "but it's still all right for the animals, just not for hu -- for two-leggers like us."

He watched in rapt attention as Piper continued to pull the chicken apart, tearing the good parts into even smaller bite-size pieces but dropping the fat into another container. He grimaced at the fat. He did not relish touching it but did want to cook, so he grabbed another bird and began to copy what she was doing. He quickly discovered that it wasn't really as bad as it looked. He could hardly wait to taste the appetizer. Its mouth-watering aroma was driving him crazy, and his stomach rumbled hungrily.

* * *

Crystal's tears would not stop falling as she ran, sobbing quietly. Her mind whirled even as her feet pounded the deck. Oh Gods, what had she done! How could she have been so foolish as to endanger the life of such a remarkable gentleman! That one kiss would burn her forever, but it would also spell his doom.

Her animals called after her as they chased behind her, wanting to catch her so that they could calm her down and perhaps even cheer her up. She ignored them as she continued to run, racing over an ice bridge she'd quickly made and melting it just as swiftly so that Lorne could not follow her. She had not dared to look behind her and did not know if he was attempting to or not. She never saw where she was going for the tears that blurred her vision.

* * *

Cordelia was on her third trip around the ship in search of Angel when the sounds of quiet sobbing caught her ears. She turned in the direction of the sound only to find Elizabeth crying by the railing, her face hidden by a handkerchief. She barely knew the woman and desperately wanted to find Angel, corner him, and find out precisely why he had been running from her ever since the wondrous kiss they'd shared earlier that day, but though she tried to turn away from Elizabeth, she found that she could not. With a soft sigh, she turned and approached the blonde. "Elizabeth," she asked, concern etched in her voice, "what's wrong?"

Elizabeth glanced at her through the tears that filled her eyes. Her mouth opened, but what Cordelia thought was to be her answer turned out to be another sob instead. Her heart stilled as she looked deeper into the other woman's eyes and saw the pain that was almost hidden by the sadness. "Something . . . Nothing happened . . . " She could think of the right way to ask her so she spoke instead, "Will's okay, isn't he?"

"Oh, yes," Elizabeth responded. Cordelia's head jerked back in surprise by the sarcasm that dripped in the blonde's tone. "Actually," she continued, her voice gentling, "he's miraculously healed."

"Then what . . . ?" Cordelia's voice trailed off, and she shook her head slightly. Why was the woman so upset if her betrothed was healed? It was then that she remembered Port Royal. "Oh," she spoke softly, realizing that Elizabeth must have lost family there, "I'm so sorry."

Elizabeth looked at her questioningly. "For what?"

"For . . . For your family."

Elizabeth glanced away at that. She knew she should be in grieving for her father. A part of her did ache terribly at the knowledge that he was gone forever, but she was more relieved by far that she would never again have to be faced with the thing that her beloved father had become. "It's . . . It's not that . . . "

"Then what on Earth is it?" Cordelia was at a lost. If her fiancé was fine and she did not care for her family, what in the world was wrong with the woman?

"I . . . " Elizabeth's voice trailed off as she turned her gaze back to Cordelia's. She could see the true concern in the brunette's eyes, and it touched her heart. Her mother's early death and her own status as an only child had left Elizabeth to never know what it was like to have another female care for her. Oh, her maids had cared and one or two had even tried to befriend her. They had all been paid to care, however, and those who had tried harder had only tried in hopes that they would be able to somehow use friendship with some one of her social status to their advantage. Yet Cordelia barely knew her and already cared. "He broke off our engagement," she found herself blurting out to the other woman.

"What!" Cordelia exclaimed, surprise registering both in her face and her widened eyes. "But -- But I thought you were to be married this very day!"

"We were," Elizabeth shook her head sadly, "but he never wanted to marry me."

"Then why . . . ?"

She sighed and shook her head again. "Believe me, I've wondered myself. I just can't understand it, not all of it any way, but he never loved me. He said he only thought he did before he went off to rescue me and found himself at sea."

"How would finding himself make him fall out of love with you?"

"He did not only find himself," Elizabeth explained, unable to meet her gaze and looking past her shoulder instead, "but the one he truly loves."

"But I thought the only women on here before today were either married or had partners of . . . of another sort?" Cordelia shook her head in confusion.

"Well, there's also that Faith," Elizabeth told her, "but that doesn't matter. It's . . . " She chewed nervously on her bottom lip.

"It's all right," Cordelia told her, her gaze catching Elizabeth's and bringing the blonde's eyes to look back into her own. "You can tell me, and it will not go any further. It would probably do you good to talk about it."

Elizabeth shook her head. She knew better for her talk with Jack had not helped her in the slightest. She started to speak again, but her words froze on her tongue as she saw the strangest procession she had ever seen crossing what her eyes told her was a bridge of ice.

Cordelia turned to see what she was staring at. Unlike Elizabeth, who had been too upset over Will at the time, she had seen the blonde with the animals before, but the ice bridge brought a gasp from her. They watched together as the blonde and her animals raced over the bridge and it melted behind them, but what made Cordelia gasp in even greater shock was the man whose arms the blonde ran right into and who held her far closer than was to Cordelia's liking. "So that's what he's been up to!" she fumed aloud, her hazel eyes burning at the sight.

* * *

Angel had been walking along, checking the different rooms of the ship and hoping for a sight of Cordelia. He knew where Wolf was but wasn't going to interrupt him at the moment. He had no ideal where the Princess had gone, however. He had not even been able to spot Elizabeth or any of the other ladies. It was like the Earth had opened up and swallowed them.

He had finished checking the rooms on one side of the ship and gone around the corner to start checking on the other rooms when something hit him flat in the chest. His hands instinctively caught whatever it was, and he realized by the scent that it was Crys in a distraught manner. "Crys, what's wrong? Has some one done something to upset you?"

He could hear Blue cooing and telling her to calm down, so he figured she had merely gotten into a fight with somebody. His life seemed to be full of distraught women. He knew the first thing he had to do was to get her to quit crying for tears were always a man's undoing. He lifted her chin, swiped her hair out of her face, reached for his handkerchief, and began to dry her tears gently while giving her time to calm enough to respond to him.

She was too upset to pull away from him, and her self-loathing and sadness shone in her tear-filled eyes. "Gods, Angel," she asked him in sheer desperation, "why did I ever listen to you? I was such an idiot!"

"Which time are you referring to, Crys?"

"Every time!" she exclaimed with a shake of her head. "First I endangered you all by coming aboard, and it only keeps getting worse! My Gods, Blue's condemned you and then I -- Dear Gods, I was such a fool! I knew he'd put your death into motion, and then I had to go and do the same to Lorne!"

"_Lorne!_" he asked. "What did you do to Lorne?" He wondered if Elvira had bit him in the butt again, this time too near his heart. "Is he okay?"

"He is for now, but he won't be as soon as that bastard knows what I did! Gods, I should never have kissed him! What's wrong with me!"

Angel was confused. There seemed to be an awful lot of women kissing men on the ship. Usually the same men had trouble getting a woman to even talk to them when they paid for it, let alone getting kissed, but now suddenly the most beautiful women Angel had ever seen were kissing them! He looked in her eyes. "Stop crying, Crys. The world is not worth even one single tear from your beautiful eyes. I imagine Lorne thinks he's in Heaven right now. It's not the end of the world because you kissed him. In fact, Lorne is probably cherishing every second you gave him."

"You just don't know what it's like for us guys. We spend our entire lives working hard -- and yes, piracy is hard work -- but we never get a chance with a real woman to pay us more than a passing glance! For some reason, though, we have been rewarded today! Angels have been kissing us lowly males, and I thank the Gods for it!" He paused, searching for the right words. "Even I was kissed, and believe me, I enjoyed every second of it!"

"But, Angel, whoever kissed you did not endanger you by doing so! That's what you don't understand! If he has any idea what I did to Lorne -- and he will find out; he always does -- he'll kill him! _One_ thought! That's all it takes! I might as well have killed him by kissing him!"

"Remember, dear lady, I told you he can't track you. The ships are still masked, and we're moving. He has to see you to be able to read your thoughts even. You did not endanger Lorne. You might have gotten him really excited," he said with a grin, "but he's not in danger."

"Angel, you don't know him the way I do! I don't know how he does it, but he always finds out!"

Angel put his finger on her lips. "It's because he tracks you, sees you," he tapped her forehead gently, "and then he reads what's up here. You carry the guilt of the world on your shoulders, Crys. For once, try to relax just a little. You are safer now than you have ever been."

"I've heard that before," she told him. "The place that I grew up at is supposed to be safe. They always said it was, but it never was." She shook her head. "And that's not how he does it. You saw the crystal. It protects me unless I take it off. That's why I've been able to keep hidden as much as I have."

"But you took it off in port. That's why he was looking for you there. Don't take it off again for anything. Then he won't be able to find you."

"It's not that simple, and you know it. You saw what it's capable of doing, but it can only heal beings who are that close to death's door by being put around their necks."

"Where did you get the crystal? Is it possible that we could get more of them?"

She shook her head. "There's only one other like it. Jack gave it to me, and he wears the other one."

"But you don't know where he got it from?"

"No," she answered, "but he told me there were only two in the whole world. Believe me, with the way that boy travels, he'd know."

"He probably knows a lot of things, Crys, but there are places that not even he can go. Usually he can not come here. The tropics are too hot for him, so he wouldn't know everything that was here." He thought for a minute. "We can search for one here. If we find one, we might even get lucky enough to find others. I know some one who can be of help. I will consult with them and find out if they know anything."

"In the meantime, try to have patience and to relax just a little," he repeated pleadingly. "If you would like, you can tell me more about your encounter with Lorne, but if not, I'll understand." He was glad to see that she had finally stopped crying.

"Angel, you keep telling me to relax, but how can I? How can I even _think_ about relaxing when I know he's out there and will always be there, just waiting for a chance to kill more because of _me_!"

"I know it's easily said, Crys, but very hard to do. I'm asking you to trust me to do everything I can to help you. I promise I won't let you down and we will find a way to defeat him. You can come and talk to me any time you get depressed or upset. I know I'm not the best-looking thing to talk to, but I promise not to make a move on you or do anything to upset you and what you tell me will not go any further. I just want to be your friend."

She nodded, taking in everything that he told her. She knew that he meant well, but she still believed that he would never be able to keep his promise. Her gaze had fallen from his face to the deck beneath their feet, and her mind was still whirling with a myriad of thoughts when Blue cooed at her from Angel's shoulder. She looked up at him, and he cooed again. She cocked her head to one side, listening to him finally, before nodding. "You're right, although you still shouldn't have done it," she told the little dragon, unable to keep the scolding from her tone.

Looking back at Angel, she spoke again. "We've already told you, so he'll want you regardless of what happens. You need to know what already has happened, though, Angel. I don't know if I'll ever be able to tell any of the others, but you _need_ and _deserve_ to know."

"You'll get a chance tonight after dinner to tell your tale, Crys. We always have a little song after we've eaten a really good meal. We haven't done that in a while. I know Autolycus and Joxer mean well, but they can't cook. It's a time that we all share what is on our minds, anything that's bothering us. It's a time of darkness where you don't feel like eyes are staring holes in you. I miss it; I like it. I'll stand by you tonight, and you can tell the others."

"I don't know if I can," she admitted, "or even if I should. They're already in danger by my being here, but if they actually know the full details . . . " She shook her head, tears misting over her eyes. "You saw what he can do. He'd do the same to them."

He lifted her chin. "Stop that crying now, Crys. It accomplishes nothing but only gives you a headache." He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "If you don't feel like talking to them, you don't have to. Jack will never ask questions. He just knows you're in trouble and that's enough for him. He will stand by you till the end as I will do. Think about it, and you can tell me later if you want to talk and tell them the story."

She nodded but did not know how to respond to the latter part of what he had told her. "I don't usually cry so much," she told him instead, "but I've kept it in so long and it just seems determined to come out today."

"It's one of those times," he said. "We all feel it and have been in your shoes. Our stories were different, but we've all been in trouble. That's why we don't judge each other but we do the very best we can to help each other, all of us. We're family, and now you're part of our family. All I ask is that you don't put yourself away from us and allow us to be part of your family."

She was silent for a moment before daring to admit, "I would love to be able to do that, Angel, but I'm scared. No," she corrected herself, "I'm _terrified_ that he might still find out! He's killed so many because of me! Port Royal was only the latest town he's done in. There was another, and he killed Blue's mother, my best friend when I was a child, Elvira's and Cindy's entire families . . . " Her voice trailed off.

"Well, consider me to be your big brother," Angel gently told her. "Let me worry about him just for tonight. Do your best to enjoy being free for a little while. I promise I'll be there for you."

She nodded. She wanted desperately to be able to let them all in, but she could not bare the thought that doing so might get them killed. It was then that Blue cooed again, telling Angel for the second time that day something that she had no intention of his knowing. He had let the Halliwells think that she had eaten the apple, but he had done so instead after she'd refused and given it to him. He did not let Angel think that she had eaten, however, and told him just what had happened even as Crys' eyes snapped to him. "Blue!"

"Crys, I want you to eat. I'm taking you to the galley now. I smell food cooking, and I want you to eat something for me. Please?"

She hesitated. She was hungry, and she could not remember the last time she'd been lucky enough to eat anything besides the snow she created. She had occasionally managed to sneak some extra food for her babies but had never bothered to do so for herself. Her stomach rumbled in protest, reminding her that it had been more than a day since she'd even eaten snow. "All right," she relented. "I was just . . . I was too frustrated earlier, and don't you _dare_ tote me like a sack of potatoes again!" Her eyes cut a glare at him, but the corners of her mouth trembled as if they were fighting to keep from turning up into the beginnings of a smile.

"Don't threaten me, Crys. I kind of liked doing that." He grinned down at her. "But if you don't want to eat, I am going to feed you." He reached out, pulled her to him, and hugged her. "You need a lot of that, little sister, and I know just the guy to give it to you if you'd only let him: Lorne."

She sighed. "He is _incredible_," she breathed in admission before she could stop herself. "I never thought green could look so fantastic on any one before." Though she was managing to talk, her heart had almost stopped and then escalated in sheer joy when he'd hugged her. She had not been hugged by another two-legger in months, not since the last time Jack had dropped in for a visit. She hugged him tightly in return, ignoring her mind's warning that she shouldn't be doing such.

Releasing her, Angel reached in a pocket and lifted a cookie out to Blue. "I don't have treats for you girls," he said apologetically, "but I'll get some. Now let's take your mommy to the galley and find out what great foods Miss Halliwell's cooking." He held to Crys' hand, refusing to release her, even as Blue, still perched on Angel's shoulder, nibbled eagerly on the cookie.

Elvira started to pad off after Angel and Crystal, but Cindy paused, a soft growl ushering forth from her lips. She turned to look in the direction of the eyes she'd sensed but that the others, in their concern for Crys, had missed. She was not surprised to find a blonde and a brunette staring after Angel and Crys. She growled at them, and the two quickly gasped and flung themselves back into the shadows. Shaking her head at the ignorance of humans, the lioness turned and padded off after the rest of her suddenly-growing family, her tail twitching.

* * *

Continuing on their way to the galley, Angel walked proudly beside Crys. He relished the feeling that he had at least accomplished some small part in helping her to feel better. Delicious smells were coming from the galley, and he wished that he liked regular food and could live on something besides blood. Blood got old after a while, but he couldn't keep regular food down.

They had just about reached the door when he saw Carl running, hopping up and down, and hollering. He wondered what had the little guy so upset, and then he heard him. "THERE YOU ARE," Carl yelled, pointing at the group that surrounded Angel, "YOU LITTLE, GNOME-EATING DRAGON! JACK TOLD ME THE TRUTH! YOU AREN'T GOING TO EAT ME," he leered at Blue before adding in a false threat, "BUT I MIGHT JUST EAT YOU!"

The Gnome's threat brought first a sharp gasp and then a furious glare from Crys, a worried coo from Blue, and growls from Cindy and Elvira who flanked them. Angel looked down at Carl. "Carl, what is your problem? Calm down and quit making threats! You're not going to eat anybody! You're quite a little guy to be making so much noise!"

"I might be little," Carl retorted angrily, "but I can still take on that dragon!"

"Nobody's taking on the dragon," Angel told him. "Why are you after him any way?"

"That woman told me he'd eat me! She said they hadn't eaten in so long and tried to get Joxer and me to go over there so that they could eat us! It's not happening! I'll eat him first!" It was at just that time that a huge roar sounded from right behind Carl's rear. Carl screamed and automatically jumped right up onto Angel. Cindy's teeth closed on the air where he had just been.

"Cindy!" Angel reproved her. "Leave Carl alone!" He had barely managed to catch Carl. "Carl, calm down. We'll get to the bottom of this and reach a happy solution for everybody. Crys said some things while she was in the cage, because she wanted out so badly. None of her babies are going to eat you. Think about it. If that had been you in there and you had had some friends who might could have gotten you out, wouldn't you have made some threats too?"

"Well, yeah, but I wouldn't have said they'd eat them!"

"He won't eat you, Carl, isn't it?" Crys spoke up. The Gnome's head trembled even as he nodded. "I'm sorry I told you he would," she continued. Honesty shone in her ice blue eyes as she looked apologetically at him. "It was a complete and utter lie, but Angel's right. I just wanted out and needed to distract you for a moment."

"But you knocked me out without ever touching me!"

She nodded. "Yes, I did, but again, it was because I had to in order to escape. I never wanted to hurt you; that's why I did what I did."

"Angel, she never touched me, but she froze me!" Carl complained.

Crys shook her head. "I didn't freeze you. Had I frozen you, you wouldn't be here now unless your ice had not yet melted. What I did was to simply lower your body temperature enough to render you unconscious."

"That too!" Carl exclaimed, clinging to Angel like a monkey.

"Carl, I want you to make friends with Crys and her babies. Stop trying to pick a fight, and put our your hand in friendship. This is Blue," Angel spoke to his other shoulder and Carl's eyes shot as big as saucers.

"I-I-I-It-It-It's right there! It's gonna eat me!"

"Coo," Blue said as a matter-of-fact statement.

"Not always, Blue," Angel told him. Blue had made mention that Carl seemed to be a mighty small powerhouse looking for trouble where there wasn't any. "Carl is usually nice, friendly, and very helpful, and Blue is the same, Carl, so you should be able to get along with him very well."

Blue cooed again and held out part of his cookie to Carl.

Carl continued to tremble as he looked at the dragon's out-stretched claw offering him a bit of cookie. He shook even more. "He's trying to poison me!"

"COO!" Blue threw the cookie at him, and Carl, despite himself, caught it.

"It's not poison, Carl. I gave it to him as a treat."

"You did?" Carl asked. "You're sure it's the same one?"

"Yes, Carl, it's the same one. Now make friends."

As soon as Angel affirmed that it was indeed the same cookie, Carl popped it without any further hesitation into his mouth. Even as he chewed, he continued to gaze fearfully at Blue. Was it true? Did dragons not eat Gnomes? He'd always heard otherwise, but then again, he was being held by a friendly Vampire who didn't eat humans. Who'd ever heard of that?

"Some dragons do eat Gnomes, but only the big dragons and the meat eaters. Blue is not a meat eater. He much prefers fruits."

Carl continued looking apprehensively at Blue, but when the dragon again tentatively stretched out his hand toward the Gnome, he took it. Blue squeezed his trembling hand but was careful not to hurt him or let his claws do so much as brush against his skin. Carl finally began to relax. Looking down at Crys, he told her, "You still didn't have to say he'd eat me!"

She nodded. "You're right, Carl," she admitted, "and as I said, I'm sorry I did. I thought I didn't really have a choice, though, and was trying to escape to keep the others _and you_ safe."

His eyes widened at that. "Safe? From what?"

Angel dropped Carl gently back down to the deck. "Carl, there are things that are evil out there. You know that. You've seen some of them. That thing you saw in the sky today, he is totally evil and he wants Crys."

"_That_ thing wants _her_!" Carl repeated in disbelief, looking up at Angel and Crys. The woman seemed so beautiful, and he knew now that she really wasn't the evil bitch he'd thought at first.

"Yes," Crys told him softly. "That's why I did what I did. That's why I was so bent -- "

Her words broke off as Carl interrupted her. "Well, missy, you can just tell him to put his dukes up!" He swung at the air even as he hopped up and down, acting as though he were trying to fight an invisible opponent. "I'll take him!"

Crys couldn't help herself. Angel's hug had lifted her spirits already, and the sight of the small Gnome attempting to fight was just too hilarious. Her lips parted, and her voice broke into a tinkling of laughter.

Angel smiled at Crys' laughter. He didn't imagine she'd done much of that in her life, and he hoped that he'd hear more of it in the future. "Would you like to carry Blue for a while, Carl? We're on the way to the galley." He refused to give him credit for the fight, because he knew he'd have to bail him out if he got into one.

Carl stilled himself, grinning from ear to ear as he had succeeded in making the woman laugh, but looked with a mixture of hope and doubt up at Angel and Blue. "Do you think I could?" he asked hesitantly.

"Blue?" Angel questioned.

"Coo," the dragon answered with a grin as he took to the air and sailed down to Carl's shoulder. Carl's anxious face split into a huge smile as the dragon perched on top of his shoulder.

"He especially likes his head to be scratched," Crys advised quietly, seeing the Gnome's eyes light up as Blue settled in to his new perch.

Carl hesitantly reached up and scratched Blue's head. His grin grew even larger at the gentle rumbling he was rewarded with in turn.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	29. Chapter Twentyeight

**Chapter Twenty-eight**

"They're gone," Elizabeth announced. She had taken a few steps from the shadows they had ducked in upon first seeing Angel with the blonde and had watched as they had crossed another ice bridge back to the ship. The second had disappeared as quickly as the first, and she was still amazed by both the unusual animals and the ice that she had seen coming from the woman's hands.

When Cordelia failed to respond, she turned back to the shadows with a concerned frown. "Cordelia?" When the brunette still did not answer her, she stepped closer, returning to the shadows and only then seeing the sadness written all over her face. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"He . . . He kissed me."

Elizabeth's brow creased in confusion. "Who kissed you?"

"Angel," Cordelia explained, her tear-filled eyes refusing to meet the blonde's. Her gaze dropped instead to her feet, but Elizabeth still saw the lone tear that ran down her cheek.

She was concerned over Cordelia's sadness, but her confusion was growing by the minute. "I thought you were new to the ship?"

"I . . . I am, and I . . . I know I should have known better, but one thing led to another and . . . "

Elizabeth shook her head even as she placed a gentle hand on the other woman's shoulder. "It's all right," she assured her quietly. "You don't have to explain to me. I'm just . . . I'm sorry you saw that."

"I'm not," Cordelia said with a shake of her head that surprised Elizabeth. "I'm sorry he's another jerk, but I'm glad that I at least know it."

Elizabeth nodded in understanding. She started to speak but Cordelia's voice broke her off. "How could I have been so foolish? I should have known better than to kiss a man I'd just met today, not to mention letting him get that close to me!"

"It wasn't foolishness," Elizabeth assured her, shaking her head slightly from side to side. "You had no way to know, and besides, I've began to think that we may all be making mistakes whenever we allow a man to get under our skin." She paused, contemplating what she was about to say. She hoped that the knowledge that she had not been the only one hurt so by a man might help Cordelia to feel at least a little better about herself. "Cordelia, my Father was a jerk," she admitted to her, "and my fiancé just told me today that he never loved me and, in fact, loves a _man_ instead."

Cordelia's eyes rose to hers in shock. "What? You can't be serious!"

"I'm afraid I am." Elizabeth sighed.

"What's wrong with us? Don't we know any better?"

"I didn't," she replied honestly, "but I do now. I believe you are the same."

Cordelia nodded even as she sniffled again. "True, but . . . It just hurts so much. I know it's crazy since we only met today, but I truly felt something for him. I was already falling hard for him and thought he felt the same, but to see him with that blonde . . . "

"I know it hurts," Elizabeth agreed quietly, "but it's best we both found out now before it could get any further." She could tell Cordelia was still upset as was she, and she stepped forward and embraced the other woman in a gentle, reassuring hug. "I don't know how, but we'll get through this."

Cordelia nodded as she returned Elizabeth's hug. She prayed she was right, but her heart had never felt such pain as it did watching Angel with another woman. How could he? How could he have played her as he had? Her whirling mind turned back to their encounter earlier that day, and she remembered his story. Had that even been the truth? She had wondered why he would have trusted her as much as she'd believed he'd had to in order to reveal such a dark secret from his past. Had it all been merely an act on his part, a ploy to lure her into his arms, his bed? She vowed it would not happen and that, as soon as she had her emotions contained well enough, she would face him with the knowledge of what he had done to her. She only hoped that she could keep from crying when she did so.

* * *

The first thing Angel noticed when he pushed the door to the galley open was that it was filled with great smells; the second was that every one seemed to be busy. "Hi, everybody," he called out and looked immediately to see how Lorne was taking it.

Lorne had a frown on his face. He would not look straight at Angel. It figures. She doesn't want me because I'm green, but she's all over Glamour Boy.

"Lorne?" Angel asked.

"Yes, _sir_?"

"Having a good day?"

"I was."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Not now."

"Okay. Then I'll just be about my duties, but Crys is here to help after she gets some food," he said, looking at Piper.

"I thought she ate an apple?" Prue questioned helpfully. She looked at Crys in confusion.

Crystal's eyes were glued to the deck. She wished that she could hide behind Angel but knew better.

Blue spoke up, cooing loudly for all to hear, from his perch on Carl's shoulder. He told Prue that Crys had given him the apple instead and refused to eat a single bite but frowned when he realized that the woman could not understand him.

Elvira had been making her way over to Lorne but stopped when she heard Blue. Looking at Prue, she wondered if she might stand a better chance and repeated what her brother had just said.

Prue looked in confusion from Blue to Elvira. She had not been able to understand a single word the little dragon had said, but she heard Elvira's voice. It wasn't the sound she was making that Prue heard; it was as though she was talking straight to her brain, person to person, instead! Prue responded in a voice that only Elvira could understand. "I can hear and understand you! Why?"

Hearing their older sister speak in a canine language, all three of the other Halliwells screeched. Phoebe found herself dropping onto Joxer's lap, the support of her legs completely gone. Paige nearly fainted but grabbed hold to the table just in time, and the bowl Piper had been holding slipped from her frozen hands.

Lorne caught the bowl and turned to look to see what was causing the disturbance. Returning the bowl to a safe place on the table, he asked, "What? Can't a human talk to an animal?" He had missed the conversation between the woman and wolf due to the fact that he was griped at both Angel and Crys and had not been paying attention to anything but them. Crys had a glow, and Angel was his usual gorgeous self. Fury burned within Lorne at the thought of what they had been doing.

"Well, yes, of course . . . " Ororo answered slowly. "I-I've heard it before but never like this. Prue, do you realize that you are speaking in a . . . well, a lupine tongue?"

Prue looked at her family, her surprise clear on her face. "No. I just know that I can understand Elvira. I thought I was talking English." Four heads shook back at her, slowly moving from side to side.

Prue turned her attention back to Elvira and again went to talk to her. "What's going on, Elvira?" Her words came out in the lupine language for the second time. A grin split her face, and she broke out in English again. "If I can do this, I can talk to Brendan when he's in wolf form!"

"That must be why," Crystal spoke up at last. Looking at Prue, she asked, "Are you in love with a Werewolf?"

"Oh, _yes_," Prue breathed, "but he wolfs out every time I'm near him!"

"There is probably a part of you, then, that will be able to communicate with him regardless of what form he is in at the time. Elvira can understand English perfectly well, but perhaps . . . " She paused, frowning slightly, then asked, "Have you ever spoken, or attempted to, to a wolf before?"

"I've talked to Brendan when he was in wolf form, but I don't think he understood me," she replied with a small shake of her head. "He just got angrier. He wanted to eat me. The Captain knocked him out."

"Elvira must have somehow triggered that part of you, and if he was wanting to eat you, he may have simply been too angry to understand you at the moment."

A thrill shot up Prue's spine. If she could talk to Brendan when he wolfed, would it help him to control himself? She couldn't wait to get a chance to try it! All conversation was disrupted when the food was ready, and every one hurried around, putting the hot treasures on plates.

* * *

Wolverine had just closed the door to Jack's cabin when he sniffed the air. The scent of something cooking made his stomach rumble. "Think I'd better go get some o' that for 'Ro and me. Why don't you come along and get you some? By the way, Jack brought back a whole bunch o' stuff in a wagon, includin' a scruffy-lookin' donkey pullin' it. I think it's the stuff from your forge."

"I didn't have that much," Will admitted, confusion creasing his brow. "It was nowhere near a wagon full!" He also wondered why Jack would have brought the donkey but did not speak on that matter.

"Well, it looked like a wagonload to me. We can go check it out after we get somethin' to eat." Wolverine could see a line already forming outside the door to the galley. He grabbed a rope and swung over to the Witch.

Will glanced back at the closed door to Jack's room before following. He arrived just in time to hear Wolverine growl and see the crowd part, allowing him and Will to be the first ones in the door.

Wolverine looked at each of the other Pirates. "Ya scurvy lot, stay out here, an' we'll see when the food's gonna be done." They grumbled but did as ordered.

Wolverine and Will had barely made it inside the galley when Will froze in his tracks. His eyes, widened by surprise, had fallen onto the donkey. It was indeed the donkey from the smithy's, but what surprised Will even more was that the mischievous beast was sneaking a bottle of a dark liquid off of the table.

Piper turned from the oven, her hands full with two more trays that she was about to pass to Lorne, when her eyes fell on the donkey. He was throwing his head back and taking a long gulp of the bourbon when she screeched. "Drop that immediately!"

The donkey looked at her from around the brim of the vial, shook his head, and started to trot off. He froze in his tracks, however, as he caught sight of Will. His mouth opened instantly, the bottle falling to the deck and rolling. "Hey! There you are, man! I've been looking -- "

He was interrupted by Will's shocked yell. "You _talk_!"

Donkey rolled his eyes. "_Yes_, I talk! What is it with you people! Donkeys can talk; get over it already!" He chased after the bottle and reached it at the same time as Wolverine.

Wolverine had barely grasped the bottle when Donkey's mouth made a grabbing bite for it only to be met with Wolverine's fist. Donkey staggered back. "Hey! You hit me, man!" He immediately turned around, pointed his hooves back at Wolverine, and kicked him before Wolverine could react. His hooves struck Wolverine's gut, knocking him to the floor and sending the bottle flying. Wolverine moaned as his hands grabbed his gut.

Blue sailed off of Carl's shoulder so swiftly that the Gnome staggered back in surprise. His talons caught the bottle in mid-air. He started to take it to Piper but stopped at Lorne's side instead.

Lorne reached out and took the bottle. "Thank you, Blue." At least the dragon appeared to still like him.

While Blue had been rescuing the bottle, Will had raced over to Wolverine and Donkey. "Donkey!" he scolded. "You shouldn't have kicked him!"

"He hit me first!"

"That may be so, but that's because you were misbehaving and trying to steal that bottle!"

"I know," Donkey admitted, "but man, it tasted _so good_!"

"Which is precisely why you _don't_ need it," Piper told him. "Why, there's no telling what alcohol would do to a donkey!"

"Alcohol?" Wolverine's head snatched up immediately. "What kind o' alcohol?"

"bourbon."

"That's sissy stuff," he dismissed it, "but I'd still keep it hid. Jack ain't been able to find any rum. He might take to drinkin' that instead. That's all we need."

Will looked questioningly at Wolverine and spoke before Piper could. "What do you mean?"

"The rum's disappeared, an' the Captain does love his rum," Wolverine replied. There were a lot of them aboard the ship who knew about Jack's problem, but they had managed to keep it quiet amongst them. For a brief moment, he had forgotten Will was there and that the boy would not have an ideal that the captain had a drinking problem. He was not going to tell him. Hopefully by the time Jack managed to find some rum, he would be dried out and wouldn't want it quite so badly.

He staggerdly got to his feet. "Hide that stuff, Miss Piper. Could I possibly have one of those good-smellin' things?" They looked like little biscuits filled with some kind of meat and topped with melted cheese, but he had never seen anything like them before and did not know what to call them.

"Of course," Piper told Wolverine with a gentle smile despite her worried eyes, "but you might want to let them cool a little bit longer. They're only the appetizers, however. The main meal's still cooking but will be done shortly." She could not help frowning then. "I do hope it's all right. I thought you'd probably all love bourbon chicken." She would never have thought that a Pirate wouldn't want alcohol and had chosen the meal for precisely that reason. Had she made an awful mistake?

"Gods, I can hardly wait for it! I had bourbon chicken one time before at Derek & Hansel's. I found Carl cleaning the pot out afterward. It was _so_ good! Jack's gonna love it!"

Piper couldn't help beaming at that, but Paige's question brought another frown. "What do we have to drink?" she asked her. "I can fix them if you know where it is."

"Drink?" Wolverine repeated. It was the first time he'd thought about the missing rum causing a problem for everybody else besides just Jack.

"Water and blood," Angel answered. "That's about all we have."

"Water and _blood_!" Crys repeated, still standing next to him. "Surely you have to have something else?"

"Nope," Carl spoke up from where his eyes were glued to the luscious redhead. "We pretty much lived on that rum."

"Well, I simply can not see wasting such a delightful meal on nothing but water!" Crys exclaimed. "I could help on that, but I don't know . . . " She frowned, her voice trailing off.

"What is it, Crys?" Angel queried.

"Well, I could make something, but I don't know if any of you would want to eat it since I would _literally_ be making it."

Angel was full of curiosity. What could Crys possibly make out of thin air that they could drink? "What is it?"

She shrugged. "I've never really bothered to name it. It's just a snow drink of sorts, but they love it," she said, gesturing with her gaze to Cindy, Blue, and Elvira.

Lorne's ears perked up. Could this be a chance that he could get more of Crys' attention? Angel couldn't drink it. He could only handle the blood, but Lorne could. "Crys," he called, "make it. I'll sample it."

She was not certain if she could trust herself near Lorne again but told herself that nothing could happen since there were, after all, so many others in the room with them. She nodded to him even as she forced her feet to carry her away from Angel's protective side and over to the table. "I'll need a mug to put it in," she paused, glancing at Piper, "and do you have any flavoring?"

"A few," she answered. "What would you like?"

Crys thought for a second, but Blue's coo made up her mind. "Vanilla?"

Piper nodded and moved off to retrieve the bottle, leaving Crys to look back at Lorne though her eyes would not meet his.

Lorne handed Crys a mug. His eyes desperately tried to connect with hers, but she would not look at him. Damn Angel! He could have any woman on the ship! Why did he have to pick his?

"Thank you," Crys spoke softly to him. She took the mug, but her fingers brushed across his as she did so, shooting sparks through them. She tried to ignore the feelings both his touch and presence invoked in her as she turned, set the mug onto the table, and cupped her hands over its mouth. Her fingers pointed down, and her ice blue eyes narrowed at the mug as she concentrated. Snow began to fall from her fingertips, drifting down into the mug and quickly piling up.

All eyes were glued on her, and Wolverine had to ask. "Doesn't that hurt, little one? It looks like it could be awful painful."

She shook her head, but her eyes did not raise from the mug. "Not at all." She rose one hand but still did not look up. "The vanilla, please?" She felt Piper place a bottle in her hand and began to add the vanilla, moving her other hand in circles so that the snow and vanilla swirled together.

Every one in the room's mouth watered for a taste as they watched the drink being made. Lorne reached out a hand and lifted it to his lips, his eyes never leaving Crys. He took a sip; then he took another one. "What is this?" he asked. "It's good!"

"I want some!" Carl cried. He reached up and tugged at Lorne's hand until he could get his hand on the mug. He took a swallow and had the mug snatched out of his hand by Wolverine. "Hey, I want some more of that! That's mine!" Carl complained.

"No, it's not! It's mine!" Lorne protested.

"No," Wolverine growled at them, "it's mine now!" He emptied the mug.

"Not fair!" some voices called. "I wanted some!" others said.

Angel had a sad look on his face. He wished he could taste it but knew that those days were behind him. In fact, he had never had those days, because his mother had never made him anything special to drink.

Crys had watched Lorne take the first sip while holding her breath, and she'd scarcely began to smile as he was enjoying it when Carl had reached out. As the mug began to be passed swiftly around and she found herself surrounded by others wanting more, she couldn't help laughing or the smile that burst out over her face.

Will had been watching the scene with great confusion on his face. Just what was the problem with Jack and rum? He could not get past that thought even as he watched the others converge on the blonde, all thrusting mugs out at her, and heard her laughter grow. Shaking his head, he finally moved forward. He collected two mugs and then began trying to figure out where the line was.

Lorne knew he had to get some kind of order, because not only did every one inside want some but the ones outside would, as well. "Back up. Give her room to breathe," he commanded as he sat several trays with mugs on them in front of her. Just as quickly as they were set before her, she filled the cups, mixing the snow and vanilla at a nearly blinding rate.

Even while she was busy filling the mugs, Crys managed to steal a glance at Angel who lingered behind all the others. Her joy started to fade when she saw the sad look on his face, but then she realized what his problem must undoubtedly be. He was a Vampire and, as such, could only drink blood. "Blue?" she called up.

The little dragon quickly flew down to his mistress and perched on her shoulder. She whispered so that only he could hear her, and he took off for Angel as she handed two freshly-filled mugs to Will. Blue headed swiftly for Angel and cooed to him as soon as he reached him.

Angel grinned. "Back in a minute," he replied eagerly and headed for his quarters. He was not gone long and returned with a small bag. He handed it to Blue. The dragon took the bag in his talons and very carefully carried it over to Crys.

Angel waited in expectation. Would she really make a drink just for him, and would it taste good? He was so tired of the same old taste of blood, but it was the only thing that stayed in his system.

"Piper," Crys called, catching sight of Blue on his return trip to her, "do you have any cinnamon?"

"Of course," she told her, walking off but quickly returning with a canister. She handed it to Crys as the blonde passed a mug to yet another Pirate.

Lorne had been carrying trays of mugs outside and had not seen her send Blue to Angel. As fast as he took one tray out, another empty tray came back as the Pirates were making short work of the drinks.

The little meatpies were also swiftly disappearing. Prue barely managed to grab two of them and two mugs and headed out of the room, carrying them to Brendan and Wes. When she got there, Wesley was nowhere to be seen. She called out, "Brendan?", but there was no answer.

* * *

"Piper, I'm going to need a little bit of help with this one."

"Certainly. What do you need me to do?"

"While I'm adding the other liquid," Crys gestured with her head to the bag Blue held even as she took it from him, "I need you to add the cinnamon. Not a lot, just enough to add its flavoring to the drink."

Piper nodded, understanding what she meant but also wondering what in the world was in the bag. It looked like blood, but surely it couldn't be?

Crys opened the bag as though it contained nothing unusual. She was not bothered by the blood in the slightest and added it to the snow with no more thought than if it had been the vanilla flavoring she was putting in the others' drinks. Piper added the cinnamon, and soon the drink was done. "Angel?" Crys called out.

Angel stepped forward and gratefully accepted the mug. "Thank you," he whispered to her with a smile and backed up out of the way so that others could get close to her. With his back against the wall, he took the first sip. It was the first time in ages that he could remember blood actually tasting good to him, and he downed the mug in a hurried gulp. He'd thank her again later when he had the chance. Right now he wanted her to be the center for he knew she needed that.

He had noticed Prue leaving and, setting his cup down, decided he'd better go out and check to make sure that everything was all right. He was startled to see Wesley pass right by him. "Wes!" Angel exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder to stop him. "Why aren't you guarding Brendan?"

Wesley grinned at him. "He decided he'd come out."

"He's out here somewhere?"

"Not yet," Wesley replied, "but he said he'd be here soon and sent me off. And yes, Angel," he added before the other man could ask, "it was the man, not the wolf."

"Oh crap!" Angel exclaimed worriedly. "Prue just headed that way! She'll be there before either of us can get there!"

"Oh no!" Wes cried. "I never thought -- " He turned to race back the way he had come but nonetheless called out over his shoulder, "Save some for two, please!" He ran out, Angel hot on his heels.

* * *

Brendan was sitting cross-legged on the floor, examining two of his most precious belongings, when an all-too familiar scent met his nose. His head jerked up; then he heard a knock accompanied by Prue's voice. "Brendan?" Panic flashed over his face and eyes, and he swiftly rolled into the one hiding place that came to mind.

"Brendan?" she called again. "Are you in there? Wes is not out here." She stepped closer to the door and knocked on it a second time. "Brendan, can you hear me?" When no answer came, she tried the handle and found that it was unlocked.

Balancing the tray carefully, she managed to open the door and step inside. The room appeared to be completely deserted. She walked over to the table and carefully set the tray down on it. Where could they have gone? she wondered. She sincerely hoped Brendan was all right and had not had to be put in the cage.

She had been about to step away from the table when her eyes were caught by a painting that hung on the wall. It was gruesome in blacks and blood red, and it not only intrigued her but scared her at the same time. What could its meaning be? More engrossed in the painting than in what she was about, she stepped backward only to fall over something in the floor. She gave out a frightened squeal. She tried to catch herself but to no avail as she continued to fall toward the floor.

Brendan had watched Prue's every movement as she had carried the tray of delicious-smelling food to his table. He had watched her attention become fastened on his painting, but his breath had caught when he'd seen her foot catch on part of one of his drums. As she started to fall, he released a muttered oath and sprang out from under the bed, catching her just before she could hit the floor.

She had thought she was about to hit the floor when her fall was suddenly stopped by a pair of strong arms. She knew instantly that it was Brendan, and her heart fluttered. "Brendan?" she whispered. "Thank you for saving me." She made no move on him whatsoever but lay still within the circle of his arms.

"I brought you some food. Actually, it's just an appetizer; there'll be more later. I thought you were gone, though, and I was just going to leave it for you to get when you returned. I prayed you weren't in the cage; I was going there next. I fell over something."

She had momentarily forgotten why she had fallen but looked up into his face. She didn't know why she loved him so much. She felt like she had known him forever and that he was a missing part of her that she had at last found. "I promised Jack I wouldn't upset you. I hope I haven't." She finally hushed, allowing him a chance to talk.

Brendan had barely been aware of Prue's words for her scent, the pounding of her heart, and the feeling of her body inside his arms had enwrapped his every sense. His own heart pounded not only from the feelings that she sent sweeping through him but also from his fear. He thought for certain that he was a goner when her beautiful eyes gazed up into his panicky face but managed to keep the presence of mind to set her carefully back to her feet.

He heard her last words and assured her in a quick rush of words, "I am not upset but would have been had I been unable to catch you and keep you from falling. I have to leave, though." Without giving her a chance to reply, he ran from the room as if he were being chased by the worst kinds of Demons imaginable.

The first thing Angel and Wesley saw when they crashed upon the scene was the door was open and gently swinging in the breeze. Oh no! Angel thought. He's done her in! He didn't say anything but was about to race into the room when something came flying out, knocking both him and Wesley to the deck. "What the Hell!" he heard Wesley mutter even as the blur kept going.

"I think that was Brendan," Angel said, "not the wolf." His voice sounded puzzled. "But he's running. He must have done something."

They cautiously entered the room only to find Prue standing in the center of it, looking at the picture once more. "I'll go after him," Angel told Wesley. "You stay with her." Angel raced back out and headed in the direction he could smell Brendan. He kept thinking, He didn't wolf! What kind of a miracle was this?

He could see Brendan just ahead. He held on to the railing as though his life depended on it before he suddenly sailed over the top of the railing and straight into the water. Not again! Angel complained silently. I'm not going in there if I can help it! He looked down into the water. "Brendan? Are you down there?" He was about to jump into the water behind Brendan when he saw his friend's shaggy head come to the surface.

"Angel, it's coming!"

"It didn't come, Brendan. Don't you understand? It didn't come! For the first time, you didn't wolf!"

"But I will," Brendan's frantic voice called up to him, "if I don't get calmed down! My Gods, I had her in my _arms_, Angel!"

"Yes, Brendan, but you didn't wolf and you're not wolfing now! Look at you! What did you do?"

Brendan dipped again in the water, then bobbed back up, shaking his head like a dog and slinging off water in all directions. "I didn't think! She was falling, and I had to stop her!"

"You saved her, Brendan. It wouldn't have killed her, but it would have hurt her like heck. You're causing your own wolfing! Your nervousness, your anxieties . . . Prue's not doing it! You held her in your arms, and you _did_ . . . _not_ . . . _wolf_!" he stressed it to him again. "At long last, my friend, we've actually got something to work with!"

"You're right," Brendan admitted softly. "I didn't wolf, but it's only _one_ time, Angel. I don't know why I didn't change and kill her on the spot; I only thank the Gods I didn't."

Angel looked down at him. "That's because that's not what's in your heart, Brendan. You want her. You don't want to eat her. You want her safe and in your arms, where she belongs." He wanted to sing to the Heavens. His friend had a chance to overcome his worst enemy -- himself! "Wait till Jack hears this!" Angel knew that Jack had expected it all along but would be thrilled to know that he was right. "Come; I'll help you get out." He threw a rope down.

* * *

Wesley stood quietly, watching Prue. He wasn't sure how to approach her. Finally, he spoke. "Miss Halliwell, are you okay?"

She turned around and looked at Wes. Her face shone, and she was surrounded by a glow. "He didn't wolf!" she cried joyously. "He didn't wolf! He held me, Wes, so gently, and he _didn't wolf_!"

Wesley couldn't believe what was going on. Jack had been saying for a long time that he thought that Brendan could control his wolfing, but he really had not known how to go about helping his friend nor had Wes known what to do. Now, for the first time, he realized that Jack was right, and yet he still did not know what to do. "Come, Miss Halliwell; we'd best get you back to your family. Brendan might be returning at any moment, and you really shouldn't be here."

She was reluctant to leave. Her hands reached out and gently stroked different items that lay on the table before her, finally coming to rest upon his hairbrush. She lifted and sniffed it, reveled in his scent on it, and then laid it back down. "Tell me, Wes, about the picture? I've never seen anything like it. Where did he get it from?"

"Frightening, isn't it?" Wes replied. "Brendan painted it. You really don't know what you're messing with, Miss Halliwell. He's a Werewolf, and that's something from his darker side. He painted it after one of his really bad spells. You'll have to ask him about it. I don't think it's my right to reveal that side of him. He may or may not answer you. Come away, Miss Halliwell; I'll take you back now," he repeated. He really wanted her out of there just in case Brendan did come back. "Thank you for bringing the food."

"I'll bring another tray when the rest gets done. This is just an appetizer," she repeated her earlier words to Brendan. She wondered just where he had ran off to. She wanted to see him one last time, but understanding where Wes was coming from, she knew she didn't need to be there when he came back.

"I don't know what I tripped over that caused me to fall. It was over here." She looked down at the spot on the floor where a set of drums sat. "Could that have been it?"

"Well, I'll be damned!" Wesley exclaimed. "I wondered who was doing the drumming!"

"Huh?" Prue asked, clearly confused over his reaction.

"When we have music, we have had a mysterious drummer," Wesley explained. "No one knew who it was. Now we know, and we'll keep Brendan's secret. If he had wanted us to know, he would have told us."

Prue walked out the door with a small smile on her face. She felt hopeful at last! Brendan had held her and had not wolfed, even though he had ran afterward. Her heart was so happy at that moment that she wanted to sing! Brendan had held her! It had felt so wonderful, and, miracle of miracles, he had not wolfed! She almost raced back to the galley, so eager was she to tell Piper, and nearly collided with Will who was on his way out.

* * *

Will carried the tray of food and mugs to the railing before stopping and looking across at the Pearl with great confusion on his face. He had every intention of getting the appetizer and drink to Jack, but how in the world was he supposed to get it over there without dropping it? His balance was good -- he had worked hard on it his entire life --, but he could not imagine any one's balance being _that_ good.

Wolverine was making his way back to the Pearl as well. He saw Will stopped at the rail, holding the tray. "What's a matter, Will? Anythin' I can help you with?"

"I . . . don't know," Will answered hesitantly, his brow creased in confusion. "I need to get this food to Jack, but I don't know how I'm going to get it across without dropping it."

"No problem, kid; I'll take it. You get yourself over there." Wolverine took the tray and beat Will getting across without dropping so much as one drop. He wondered what was taking Will so long to get over there, then realized that the boy was staring at him in awed shock.

Shaking himself, Will swung over to join Wolverine. The very second his boots touched the deck, he told him, "You have to teach me that!"

"Yer either born with it or ya ain't born with it. It's not somethin' somebody can teach, but I'll work with ya on yer balance." He didn't say anything, but he had noticed in the past, being around Will, that the boy was slightly clumsy with some things though very agile with others. He put the clumsiness down to lack of experience. He had to hand it to the boy; he had plenty of spunk and was willing to try anything. "Ya been around as long as I have on a ship, ya learn to do things like that."

Will continued to look at Wolverine in amazement even as he told him, "Thank you." He reached out for the tray.

"I'll be around the backside, workin' on 'Ro's an' my bunk. If ya need anythin', give a holler. I imagine Jack'll sleep a while."

Will nodded to Wolverine as he took the tray. "I will, and thanks again."

"No problem, kid." He headed off around the top of the ship to the other side, leaving Will to continue toward the Captain's quarters.

* * *

The first thing Will noticed when he entered Jack's cabin was that Jack was nowhere to be seen. Shutting the door behind him with his foot, he walked further into the room. "Jack?" Still no answer met his ears, and he continued to call him a few times as he set the tray down on the dresser. He glanced at the mirror, wondering again why it was covered.

It was at exactly that moment that a huge roar sounded, shaking the very walls of the cabin. "Avast!" Will cried, spinning around and reaching, at first, for his sword. Remembering that he did not have his sword, he reached down and snatched up the Governor's. Again, another huge growling noise was heard. "Show yourself!" Will yelled, turning toward the bed where the noise seemed to be coming from.

Had something came in there, eaten his Jack, and crawled under the bed? He could see nothing but yet another growl came. Squaring his shoulders, Will walked toward the bed. Thrusting his sword underneath the bed, he demanded, "Come out of there, ya scurvy dog! Show yaself!"

"Damn you, Will! Ya almost poked my eye out!" came Jack's voice from under the bed. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

The very second that Jack's voice met his ears, Will withdrew the sword and tossed it aside. Dropping to the floor, he peered under the bed and saw that Jack, sure enough, lay under there. He quickly looked away as he realized that he still had not bothered to put on any clothes.

Jack opened one eye and looked at Will. "Well? Shouldn't you be in bed?" he repeated. Without waiting for an answer, he turned over and started snoring again.

Will pushed the sword away from him. It skidded across the floor as he reached further under the bed. His hand groped blindly until he managed to find Jack's shoulder, and he shook him. "Jack, wake up. There's food to be had."

"Food, you say?" Jack rolled over, this time to face Will. "Bring it down here."

"There's also drink."

"Well, bring it too. Rum?" he asked hopefully.

Will shook his head. "No. Actually, I don't know what to call it, but it's delicious." He'd already taken a sip of his own. "It's some kind of snow treat."

"Doesn't sound good," Jack said. "Ain't got rum in it. Did you know my rum's gone? Every bit of it. I have looked _everywhere_!" He gave a huge yawn.

Will, still trying desperately not to look directly at Jack, replied, "Actually, yes, I did hear something about that. What is it with you and rum?"

"It's the most delicious drink! It's my very sustenance!" Jack's words were slurred from sleep. "I'm dying without it, Will! It keeps me going." In mid-speech, he started snoring again.

"Jack!" Will exclaimed, shaking him again. This time, Jack did not respond. Still shaking him, Will moved further under the bed so that he could grasp his other shoulder and shake him harder.

Jack, sound asleep, grabbed Will to him and rolled over, taking him with him. Lying on his side, he then proceeded to lay his left leg over Will, trapping the boy under him and using his chest for a pillow.

Will struggled but could not break free as he was not willing to use any real force against Jack. He could feel Jack's sword touching his leg through his breeches, and he thought he would melt on the spot. His heart thundered in his ears, and his mind whirled frantically. He had to get away! He had to . . . His eyes fell on Jack's face, and his breath was taken even further away. "J-Jack?" he breathed shakily.

Jack snuggled in closer to Will. It was the softest, most wonderful feeling Jack had ever felt, and it felt so right to lay there. He knew he had to be dreaming. Will could not possibly be there, not really. His fantasies were coming true! Will was in his bed! Now what to do with him? Jack snored softly, not wanting to wake from his delicious dreams of Will.

Will had heard some fairy tales as a child growing up, but he had never been able to understand the fascination over the one called Sleeping Beauty . . . until now. After all, a sleeping woman was just a woman, but his beloved Jack asleep . . . He pressed his lips together to silence the sigh in his throat. With Jack's dark spikes of lashes hanging down over his eyes so that he could not see their depths and his rugged face framed by his raven hair, he had never looked more handsome. No other man could ever come close, Will thought, as he found himself moving closer to Jack's mouth. He froze, however, as his leg slid against Jack's sword. Taking a deep breath, he moved again, ignoring the repeated sensation as best he could.

His mouth was inches from Jack's, his eyes searching every inch of his handsome face. Jack was asleep, Will thought. He'd never know. Yet he really shouldn't be doing this. Jack trusted him, and it would be taking advantage of him. But it would only be one kiss. One splendid, marvelous, world-shattering kiss that Jack would never know about but that he could treasure for the rest of his life, no matter what happened when he finally told Jack the truth of his feelings for him. Will inhaled deeply again, and Jack's heady scent shot straight to his loins. Leaning closer, Will brushed his lips softly across Jack's, taking just a brief taste of the nectar that proved to be sweeter than any he'd ever before dreamed of.

Jack stirred in his sleep, trying to get even closer to Will. He was so deep in sleep that he did not feel the touch of Will's lips on his. Some part of him instinctively began to nuzzle Will's neck, however, and his body moved still closer to Will . . .

**To Be Continued . . . **


	30. Chapter Twentynine

**Chapter Twenty-nine**

Will had frozen when Jack's lips had left his. Only his eyes had dared to move, shooting wide in panic. He had thought that Jack was asleep. Had he been wrong? He stared at him, not even daring to breathe, until Jack moved to nuzzle his neck. A low moan broke from Will's shaking lips, and he jumped suddenly as Jack's tongue flicked out and licked his neck.

As wonderful as the feelings that Jack's touches were sending sweeping through every inch of him, Will knew that he could not allow him to continue. Jack did not know what he was doing and would be horrified if he did. "Jack," he cried out, saying the only thing he could think of and trying to make his tone into an anguished protest, "I'm not a woman!"

"I know," came the whispered reply. "I wouldn't want you if you were. You protest too much." He moved slightly, bringing himself more into contact with Will. "Don't you want to be in my bed? You belong here, you know."

Oh, I _know_! Will thought but had to force himself to carry on the charade, believing that Jack did not have any idea what he was saying, let alone what he was doing. "Jack, you don't want me in your bed! I'm not a woman!" he repeated. "I'm a man!"

Jack rolled over onto his back, pulling Will with him and holding him safely within the circle of his arms. Will could not help himself. He had frozen as still as a statue when Jack had rolled with him, but when he felt Jack's massive sword attempting to be cradled by his groin, he screeched. "Jack! Jack! You've got to wake up!" Even as he exclaimed, however, he wondered frantically how in the world he would ever explain this predicament.

Jack snored gently in Will's ear even as his tongue reached out and licked Will's lobe. "Oh Gods!" Will moaned. He was already having to fight to keep his mind in control of every betraying inch of his body, and Jack certainly was not helping matters. Indeed, he was doing everything to hinder them yet had no clue as to what was happening. He had to stop him. He had to protect Jack from both himself and from his own self. "Jack! Jack, you have to let me go!"

Another snore came in response, and he sighed. He had to wake him up, and the only way left that might stand a chance of working was to shock him into awakening. He'd meant to tell him, but he certainly couldn't tell him like this. He could, however, give him a fragment of the truth. "Jack . . . Jack, you have to wake up. There's . . . There's something you don't know about me, and if you did, you . . . you certainly wouldn't want me anywhere near you right now! Jack -- " His voice broke off, and he had to force himself to finish. "Jack, I'm gay!"

"Oh. I'm so happy for you," came Jack's mumbled reply even as he fought to hold on to the squirming boy he held in his arms. "What can I do about it? You want to have a party?"

"JACK!" Will bellowed, but nothing seemed able to wake him. His mind whirled. "Jack, you don't understand! I'm _gay_! Don't you know what that means!" A snore was his only answer.

* * *

Crystal had not been surprised by a single Pirate who had came up, not even the orange catman who now stood before her, his tail twitching in the air. "Thank you, miss. My ladies will love these!" he exclaimed with a grin.

"Your _ladies_?" she repeated with a raised brow.

"Not the way you're thinking," Tom was quick to explain. "They're Katrina and Celina. Katrina's my beautiful wife who I'm honored to have, and Celina is her sister. There's Morph, her husband, too, so could you make that four?"

She smiled at the realization that there was apparently a Werecat family aboard, as well, but failed to realize that they were the Sorceresses that Angel had told her about. "Of course," she told Tom and set about making the fourth drink. "I look forward to meeting them, and I'm sure Cindy can hardly wait, as well."

"Cindy?" Tom asked.

She gestured with her head to a lioness who sat on the floor beside her, looking up at him with questions in her eyes. "She's a beaut," Tom said with a smile at both, "but nothing compared to my Katrina."

Crys returned his smile. "Well, as I said, I can not wait to meet them. It will be an honor. Here you go," she added, handing him the last drink.

Tom's grin had only continued to grow as he had been talking to the blonde. "Thank you. It'll be the perfect thing to wake them up to." He headed off, carrying the tray, with a proud saunter in his step.

As Tom walked off, Crystal found herself looking into one of the saddest, longest faces she'd ever seen. It was the donkey who'd tried unsuccessfully to steal the bourbon, and her heart felt for him instantly as she knew that he could not possibly be so upset over something as meager as alcohol. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

He sniffled. "I want my Will!"

"Your will?"

He nodded. "I want my Will," he repeated, "and he left without me!"

Crys was not quite sure what to make of what he was telling her, but at last she figured out that Will must be one of the Pirates. "Where'd he go?"

"Back to the Pearl. You know, I saw you with that bridge today. Could you . . . ?" He was looking hopefully up at her, but Crys broke him off before he could finish his question.

"I'd be glad to . . . " She paused, then asked, "Do you have a name?"

"Yup. Sure do." He nodded eagerly, then grinned at her. "Name's Donkey."

"That's not your name," she corrected him gently. "That's what you are."

"It's my name too!"

Crys shook her head, deciding not to make any further mention of it to him. She might bring the matter up with this Will later, however.

* * *

Xena kept a firm grip on Autolycus, making sure that his pants were cutting him. She was at a loss as to what to do to stop him as she really didn't want to hurt him, but he had to quit. Finally, when they reached a secluded spot, she threw him so that his butt landed roughly on the deck. Using her sword, she pushed him until he lay on his back.

Autolycus was scared. He realized he had finally pushed Xena over the edge. What would she do to him? He only hoped she'd keep Gabrielle away from him, because out of the two, he feared Gabrielle even more. He had messed with her more in the past, and she had actually cut his sword. It had taken weeks to heal, and he still had a small scar on it. He had tried to approach the Lewises with his problem but had only succeeded in getting beaten by both of their husbands. He figured Gabrielle had never told Xena or Xena would have probably came and cut his manhood completely off. He did not make eye connection with either woman but lay with the tip of Xena's sword at his throat, trying desperately not to let his fear show.

"You never learn, do you?" Gabrielle's green eyes slanted angrily down at him from where she stood next to Xena. "It's not enough that you have to mess with us, even when we _teach_ you not to, but you have to bother every woman aboard, even the children!"

Xena's eyes flashed up at Gabrielle. "What do you know that I don't know, Gabby, and why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it wasn't really important," she answered. "I handled it, so there wasn't anything left to be taken care of."

"Who was it he bothered that you took care of?" Xena would not give up on the matter. If she found out that Autolycus had laid a hand on Gabrielle, there would be Hell to pay!

Gabrielle thought back. "I think it was about six months ago when we were in bed and you had to go take care of some kind of trouble." She shook her head. "We'd been busy all day, so I didn't really think about it too much until I woke up later and found somebody else's hands around me."

"You got in bed with Gabrielle!" Xena ground out, her booted foot striking Autolycus in the chest. She ground her heel down on him.

"Huh . . . " He stumbled over the word. "Yes? I almost got away with it, too. She thought I was you."

Xena looked back at Gabrielle. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded. "He'd have been off the ship by now _if_ he was even alive!"

"That's precisely _why_ I didn't tell you. I knew he wasn't you as soon as I woke up. I just let him _think_ I thought he was until I was able to grab one of my sais without him seeing me. I rolled over and stabbed him. He's probably still got the scar." She paused, her eyes moving back to Xena's before speaking again, her tone softer. "Xena, that was six months ago. It doesn't matter now. We need to deal with the present, not the past."

Xena was so angry that Autolycus would later swear that actual steam rose off of her. "No punishment is good enough for you, Autolycus. I can't kill you although, at the present, I would love to. When we get to Tortuga, you're leaving. You can't keep your hands off of women. You're a constant danger to every female aboard, but I can't kill you," she repeated, as much a reminder to herself as anything else. "We've been around each other for far too long and you're a member of my crew. Don't think I have a soft spot in my heart for you; I don't."

"Until we reach Tortuga, you will not speak to any women. If I hear you or find out about it, I will cut your tongue out. You do not have a job any longer, so I'm going to give you one. You will spend from morning to night, on your knees, cleaning the deck with the smallest brush that I can find. I'll think of something else stronger in the meantime to do to you, but right now that's your punishment. You are not to lift your head to talk or even so much as _look_ at any female aboard the ship. What did you do with those women you brought aboard? I haven't seen them since you brought them on."

"I hid them." He would not look at her eyes for he knew and dreaded the hatred and fury he'd see there.

"What do you mean you hid them?"

"They're safe. They're my treasures."

"Speaking of which," Xena questioned, "what happened to all the booty we got today? It disappeared as soon as we got back aboard, too! Two of those gold sacks belong to Captain Jack; you'll return those immediately. I want the rest in front of me within fifteen minutes. Don't make me come looking for you." Xena then looked back at Gabrielle. "You want to add anything to this?"

"No," the blonde started to respond with a shake of her head, "although, you know, as much as I hate the thought of such, if this doesn't straighten him out, he may need a whipping." She knew that that would scare Autolycus even more.

"He's getting that any way. He's not gone yet." She moved back to allow him to rise. "Take your shirt off, Autolycus. If you don't, I'm going to cut it off of you." She reached to her side for her whip and struck him three lashes. Only she and Gabrielle knew that she tried not to cut his skin too badly, because she wanted to scare him, not kill him. "Now get," she commanded. "Do what I told you to do, and bring those women with you." Without a backward glance, he ran.

* * *

Lorne watched Crys in concern. She still had not eaten anything, and neither had he. He was waiting on her. He didn't know where Angel had gotten off to, but the field was wide open. "Crys, I'm holding you an appetizer. I know you're busy, but you need to eat." He walked over, carrying the treat in his hand. He tore off a piece and held it out to her.

She looked at Lorne in surprise. Did he expect her to eat from his fingers?

Donkey had fallen silent for the most gorgeous being he had ever seen had suddenly appeared, floating in the room above their heads. He looked around and realized that Crys' three animals also saw the being but that none of the two-leggers could see Her. He looked back up at Her. She pressed one finger to Her lips even as She tossed a little more pink dust at the two that stood directly beneath Her.

A slow smile spread over Crys' face as she again forgot the danger that she had placed Lorne in. She stepped closer to him, her hand reaching up to cup his wrist. She did not move her fingers to take the food from him, however, but leaned forward, never realizing the view that the squared dip in her dress afforded him. She gently lowered her mouth around the bite and just the beginnings of his fingers. Her tongue licked his fingertips.

Fire shot through Lorne. First, he had been able to see the luscious peaks of her bosom and the sight of them had boiled his blood. Her tongue shot him over the edge, however. He wanted her so badly that he could taste it, and he trembled at her touch. He'd kill Angel if he'd put his hand on her! As much as he cared about Angel, he'd simply kill him! He reached, got another piece of the food, and offered it to Crys.

He had not pulled away from her but seemed pleased by her touch. Still, she did not remember the danger she was placing him in, and her mouth once more gently took the food from his fingers. This time, she nibbled him as well as her food but was careful to keep her touch extremely gentle.

Seeing them in such a position was too much for Donkey! "Hey! Did you forget about me?" he called. "You two can make out with the love later! Will might be in trouble! I need to be with him! Pleeease!" he pleaded.

She sighed even as her lips drew slowly off of Lorne's green fingers. He watched her as she walked toward the door, missing her touch already. Hey, wait a minute, boy! She's all over your green skin! Don't know what happened earlier, but she wants you!

It seemed that he had a little Devil on one shoulder and a little Angel on the other. You better make a move on her, buddy! the Devil warned. You know Angel's looking at her!

Now you know Angel's not looking at her in that way, the Angel argued.

Lorne thought he was imagining things, but he could hear both of them as plain as day. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he called, "Crys, I'm coming." He trotted along behind her to the door, not wanting her out of his sight.

"I'm not going far," Crys assured him but was glad that he was coming with her nonetheless. Even the short time she had already been away from him had made her body ache. She stood just inside the doorway and rose her hands. Ice shot from them, swiftly forming a bridge from one ship to the other. "There you go," she told Donkey without another thought.

"Thank ya! Thank ya! Thank ya!" Donkey called back excitedly to her as he began to run over the icy bridge. He could hardly wait to get to Will's side. He just knew Will needed him! When he was half-way across the bridge, Donkey's hooves shot out from underneath him, causing him to skid uncontrollably the rest of the way. "HELP!" he screamed out.

Wolverine, who was working really hard with a stubborn cot that refused to cooperate, heard the frantic donkey hollering and raced to his side. He helped him get to his hooves. "Are you okay, Donkey?"

"I am now! Thanks! That woman wanted to help, but she just couldn't pull herself away from the Demon long enough! Who would've ever thought any beautiful blonde would be _licking green_!" He shook his head in disgust.

Wolverine thought. The Demon had to be Lorne. There was more than one gorgeous blonde on the ship but only one who could make ice. "You mean Crys an' Lorne?" he asked Donkey.

"Yeah, man, you wouldn't believe it! And you know what else?" Donkey babbled. "There was the most beautiful woman in there that I've ever seen, but I don't think She was just a woman! She was surrounded with this pink light that was just oozing love everywhere, and She threw this pink dust at them! That's when they went all over each other!"

Wolverine looked down at him. "Donkey, you're either on something or you're crazy. There ain't no women runnin' around here in pink. An' what kind o' dust? Pink? Geez!" He shook his head in vivid disbelief. "You get into any more trouble, holler."

Donkey looked at him, his mouth open, but he shook his head and shut his mouth, knowing it would do him no good to try to explain the being he and the other animals had seen. His thoughts returned to Will instead, and he began to jump up and down. "Gotta find Will! Gotta find Will! Gotta find Will!"

"He's in Jack's cabin."

Donkey gasped, his eyes shooting wide. "He's not!"

"What's wrong with that?" Wolverine queried.

"Well, if you don't know, I'm certainly not going to be the braying donkey who tells you!" he exclaimed, shaking his mane.

"I've been hearing sounds come out of there for a while, but since neither one of them called for help, I didn't bother them. Clark put a brand new door up today. That boy's the fastest thing I've ever seen; he had it up there in ten seconds." Donkey was staring at him as if he had two heads. "What?"

"They're in there _together_," he questioned, his eyes growing wider with each word, "and _sounds_ are coming out!"

"Calm down, Donkey. I'll open the door for you," Wolverine told him.

* * *

As Crys turned back toward Lorne, she was confronted with a growl from Cindy. "Why, yes, Cindy, I _do_ know what I'm doing," she assured the lioness with a smile.

Elvira yipped urgently at that, and her gaze moved to the wolf. "I know, but what you two have to stop and think about is that Blue already endangered Angel and I already endangered Lorne. What's done is done, so why shouldn't we enjoy each other to the fullest?" she asked carelessly, her ice blue eyes sparkling with an emotion that neither animal had ever witnessed before.

Blue flew into her face, roaring loudly in protest. "Blue, _really_, you're the one who started it," she reached up and gently scratched his cheek, "and thank you for that, sweetheart."

Cindy and Elvira growled a second time, and Blue took off, swerving around Crystal and flying off for Angel as fast as his wings could carry him. She watched him go, shrugged, and turned back to Lorne with a smile. "So where were we?"

Lorne was so lost in Crys that he had not taken notice of anything her babies had said. For some strange reason, she wanted him, and he was ever so thankful! "I think I was feeding you?" his words tumbled out over themselves.

Her long legs quickly closed what little distance remained between them. She raised a hand and caressed his chest through his shirt. "So what are you waiting for, handsome?" she purred to him as her inviting body leaned closer against his. She took his lips with her own before he could react with even so much as one word.

* * *

Wolverine was about to open the door to Jack's cabin when he heard Will again. The boy's desperately pleading voice shocked him as he cried out, "Oh Gods, help! Get me out of here!"

"Will?" Wolverine called as he walked inside the cabin door.

Donkey trotted after Wolverine, but his confused gaze found an empty cabin. "Thank Gods!" Will's voice answered from underneath the bed. "Get me out of here!"

"What are you doing under there?" Wolverine asked, confusion in his voice. Jack did not seem to be in the cabin yet Will was trapped under the bed?

"Jack has me!"

"And you _want_ to get out of that?" Donkey put in disbelievingly.

"_Hell yes!_" Will cried in exasperation.

Wolverine ducked down and looked under the bed. "I see what you mean, son. I don't know how we're going to get you out from under that. He's gotta let go."

Donkey stuck his head under the bed from the other side. "Oh, that's not a problem," he said with a grin.

"_Yes_, it's a problem, Donkey!" Will told him. "I can't -- I can't _you-know_!"

"Why not?" Donkey asked.

"I'll tell you later! Just get me out of here _now_!" Will commanded through gritted teeth.

Donkey shook his head. "Gee. You finally get what you've been wanting for so long, and now you suddenly don't want it? And I thought women were fickle!"

"**_DONKEY!_**"

"Calm down a minute, but be ready to roll." Donkey stuck his mouth next to Jack's ear. With a grin, he told Wolverine and Will, "Watch this; this'll get him going." He smacked his lips right beside Jack's ear.

The sound penetrated Jack's brain, releasing him from his deep sleep. His arms waved outward, trying unsuccessfully to slap Donkey. "**_DAMN IT, DONKEY! I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT!_**" he bellowed through gritted teeth even as Will rolled and ran.

* * *

Prue slipped into the galley and made her way over to stand by Piper, who was staring at something. Her eyes followed her sister's, and her mouth fell open in shock. There were two people about to do it on the table! Why was Piper just standing there, looking at them? Prue didn't say anything but turned and fled back out the door.

She'd have to talk to Piper later. She did not want to see anybody doing the act. She hoped Piper would come to her senses and join her outside, but she had seemed to be mesmerized by the pair. She knew Piper was a virgin and wondered if she should return and get her but didn't have the courage to go in there a second time.

* * *

Wolverine looked at Donkey, then at the door where Will had ran through as though the very Devil was behind him, and finally back at Jack. "Well, ya done it now. Ya had him right where you wanted him, an' he got away from ya." He shook his head.

Jack tried rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Huh?" Nothing was making any sense to him. "I had what, and why are both of you looking at me so weird?"

"You wanna tell him," Donkey asked, looking over at Wolverine, "or do you want me to tell him?"

"You tell him, Donkey. He made an ass of himself."

"Ya screwed up, boy!" Donkey exclaimed, looking down at Jack. "You could have had him, and you let him go!"

"What? Who?" Jack queried, refusing to believe what he was afraid they were telling him.

"Will!" Wolverine and Donkey answered simultaneously.

"Uh-uh!" Jack denied, shaking his head. "I had him in my sleep, but you woke me up."

"You had him in real life, but you were asleep," Donkey corrected him. "He was absolutely paranoid! He wanted you, but he couldn't take advantage of you!" He had actually understood Will's dilemma a great deal more than he had admitted to the boy.

Jack rolled out from under the bed and sat up with the dumbest look he had ever had on his face. "It wasn't a dream? I had Will? And he freaked out. It figures," he said in a very sad voice. "Now he'll hate me for sure."

"He doesn't hate you," Donkey tried to explain. "He wanted you," he glanced downwards at Jack's aroused member, "as much as you wanted him. He had one just as big, if not bigger."

Jack blushed slightly but did not look downward. He knew he was naked. In fact, it usually did not bother him. "Well, where is he now?"

"My guess?" Donkey asked. "Straight for the water."

"Mine too," Wolverine agreed. "In fact, I think I heard a splash."

"What should I do?" Jack questioned, looking at both of them.

"I can tell you something," Donkey told him, looking him straight in the eyes, "but if you ever let him know that I told you, I'll kick you straight in it every time I get around you, savvy?"

"Yes. I won't tell him," Jack promised. "What is it?"

"The boy likes men. Specifically, he's in love -- with _you_."

"I know he likes men and that he's in love with some one on the ship, but it's not me. When I find the bastard, he's going to walk the plank."

"How are you going to make yourself walk the plank?" Donkey and Wolverine asked in unison.

"IT'S NOT ME!" Jack insisted. "Gods know I wish it was! If _only_ it was!" he added wistfully. "But now I've embarrassed him by putting my unworthy attentions toward him."

"You don't listen worth a horse's butt," Donkey told him. "The boy had a hard one just as badly as you do. He wasn't embarrassed by you but by us having to get him out of there." He cocked his head as he sat down, still looking directly at Jack. "Think about it. Put yourself in his hooves for a minute. He's the one naked; you're the one trying to wake him up. He gets you in his arms and traps you underneath his body. What would you want to do?"

"That's beside the point. I would never take advantage of him," Jack said.

"_Exactly_, son," Wolverine put in. "He didn't want to take advantage of you. How do ya think he'd feel if you didn't feel for him an' you woke up an' found him in your bed?"

"But I do feel for him!" Jack protested. "I want him! I love him!"

"_We_ know that," Wolverine answered, "but _he_ doesn't know that. Go to him, an' make your intentions known. Let _him_ tell you to go to Hell if he wants to."

"Which he doesn't," Donkey put in. "I've seen him cry before -- all because he wanted you and thought he could never have you."

Without a second glance backward, Jack got up and streaked for the water. He didn't care who saw him naked. He dove over the side of the ship and almost landed on Will.

* * *

Angel had split from Brendan as they had gone off in separate directions in search of Wolf. He thought that Brendan and Wolf were long past due a talk with each other and that Wolf must surely be done in the crow's nest by now. He was startled when Blue flew straight into his face, cooing madly. "Slow down, Blue, and tell me again what you are saying. You're talking so fast that I can't understand you!"

Blue tried to slow down, but he was so scared by Crystal's behavior that his words again raced out of his mouth. Angel was barely able to catch them this time, and his eyes shot wide. "Crys and Lorne are doing **_what_**!" he roared, his voice rising an octave. He almost flew to the galley. He did not bother knocking at the door but barged on in.

There were not many people left in there, but Piper was still busy with something at the oven, her back purposefully turned toward Lorne and Crys who were very busy with each other. Crys was perched on the table before Lorne. The skirts of her grieving gown were hiked up, and most of her long legs were exposed. Her legs dangled to either side of Lorne, and her bare feet rubbed him through his pants. Barely a breath of space still managed to separate them as she licked tidbits of food from Lorne's fingers.

Angel did a double-take, blinking his eyes and making sure that what he was seeing was real. "Lorne!" he called out but Lorne paid no heed to him. "Crys?" It was as though they were locked inside each other, neither paying attention to any one around them.

Elvira and Cindy had both came to instant attention the moment Angel had flown into the galley, but only Elvira thought to tell him of the being they had seen earlier. She yipped urgently to Angel, filling him in on the woman in pink lace who had thrown pink dust at both Lorne and their beloved Crys.

"Cindy, go into the hold and bring me the catwomen who are there." Cindy hesitated. She had never taken orders from a male before; in fact, she had little use for the detestable creatures. She glanced at Lorne and Crys one more time as her mistress sighed in pleasure, wrapping her feet around Lorne's legs and bringing him even closer. "Hurry, Cindy!" Angel urged her, and the lioness took off, racing through the galley so swiftly that she nearly knocked him down.

"Is this . . . normal?" Piper spoke up quietly from where she was trying her best to finish the final apple pie and ignore the two making out at the table.

"No, it's not," Angel replied in a quiet voice. "It's some kind of a spell. That's why I sent Cindy for the Sorceresses. They'll know what to do. Meanwhile, I've got to break this up."

He walked up to the entwining couple, reached out, and grasped Lorne's arm. "Lorne, step away from the woman. This is not like you. Something's going on. Until we get to the bottom of it, you need to move away from Crys."

Lorne angrily shook Angel's arm off of him. "You can't have her, Angel; she's mine! You can have every other woman on this ship, but you're not having her!"

Angel looked at him in confusion. "I don't want her, but I do want you to step away from her. Until we know what's going on, you two can't be touching each other. This is not like either of you."

"Angel," Crys spoke up, turning to look at him with dazed eyes, "I know why you're doing this, but it's not necessary. I already endangered him. Everybody here is already in danger by both of our presences, so what does it matter?" she asked with a shrug, her long legs swinging.

He knew Crys would never say that if she were in her right mind. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew that it was more than he could handle by himself. He hoped it would not take the Sorceresses long to get there. "Lorne, didn't you hear what Crys said?"

"Isn't she beautiful?" Lorne sighed. He then glared at Angel as he added angrily, "And you can't have her!"

"I don't want her!" Angel repeated. "Come over here; I want to talk to you."

"No, I'm not leaving her," Lorne protested. "If I move, somebody else will move in on her!"

"Nobody is coming in here but us," Angel told him, "and I will drag you away from there if I have to." He moved back over to Lorne, prepared to attack him if he had to to drag him out of there, but Lorne seemed to be drugged.

"Miss Piper, did you put anything in the food, like an aphrodisiac?"

"I only put bourbon in the chicken," Piper answered, having turned to finally face the situation, "but that's not even done yet!"

"There's magic at work here," Angel announced, "but I don't know if it's good or bad. I'm not really familiar with magic." It was then that he heard the Sorceresses come in.

Katrina asked, "Did you call for me, Angel? It was the strangest thing. I was napping, and I woke up to an unfamiliar cat looking in my face and talking about a lady in pink with dust. We must have a Fairy."

"I don't know what's going on," Angel told her. "I just know we have to stop it. We've got two about to rut!" He hated to say the word, but he couldn't think of a cleaner word to use in front of the ladies. "I was just about to move Lorne off of her, but do you think you can do something with Crys?"

"I'll do my best," Katrina responded. "The first thing we have to do is separate them and then get some cold water and douse both of them."

Without a word, Piper, having heard Katrina, put down the spoon she was holding, walked across the room, picked up the pan of water they had all been using to wash their hands, and threw it at Lorne and Crystal.

Lorne shook himself, surprised to find that he was between Crys' legs and almost into her. "**_HOLY SHIT!_**" he exclaimed and backed up immediately. "OH MY GODS! A THOUSAND PARDONS! I -- I would never have done this in public! What's wrong with me!"

Crystal stared at Lorne in shock. "Oh. _Gods!_ I _didn't_!" Her panicked eyes flew from one face to another, and she realized that she had come very close indeed to practically getting Lorne killed. Her face was red with embarrassment as she jumped down from the table and turned to flee.

Lorne sat down with his face in his hands, too ashamed to look at anybody.

Angel caught Crys before she could run. "Sit down, Crys. Something's going on, but I don't know what it is. I've got to figure out what's happening. I don't want to have to bother Jack with it; he's got too much on his plate already."

"Angel, I've got to get out of here! None of us knows what's happening, but my Gods, if it happens again, especially if _that_ happens, it'll be his death! I'm not going to try to leave the ship, but I _can not_ stay in this room!"

"You need to stay here, Crys, long enough so that we can figure out what's going on but not anywhere near Lorne. Please sit over here by the Lewises, and let them check you over."

Katrina smiled at her. "There's magic afoot. I can feel it, but I don't think it's bad magic. I am not familiar with any deities or beings that dress in pink and put out pink dust."

Lorne was listening to the conversation but not responding. He still could not believe that, even as badly as he wanted Crys, he had almost taken her on the table. After all, he was a virgin and really wasn't sure what he was doing, but he did know that he wanted it to be in private when he did it and that he would have loved for it to have been with Crys.

Celina's blue eyes were focused on Crystal. She could feel her fear as clearly as if it were her own and heard the thundering of her heart. She knew that neither was merely because of the situation that had just taken place. For some reason, the woman truly feared getting Lorne killed and believed that she would do precisely that if she stayed with him. "We are not going to let any one be killed here," she told Crys, her voice firm but reassuring, as her blue eyes caught Crystal's and silently forced her gaze to stay with her own so that the frightened woman could see the truth of her words, "and we will watch you and not let you harm him."

"I already have -- " Crys started to say but was interrupted by Piper.

"Hold on," Piper suddenly put in. Looking at Katrina, she asked, "Did you say a deity wearing pink and throwing dust around?"

"That's what Cindy said when she woke me up. She described a beautiful, blonde female in flowing, pink clothes sprinkling pink dust made of hearts. It sounded strange, but I don't know any deities like that. We're not from Earth, and it's definitely not a deity from our world."

Piper sank into the chair next to Lorne, her mind throbbing even as it whirled. "You can definitely say the strange part again," she told the catwoman called Katrina. "Everything about today has been strange, but I think I have an idea of who your Goddess could be."

"Goddess?" Angel repeated doubtfully. "Why would a Goddess fool with us? We're Pirates!"

Piper nodded slowly, the slightest movement hurting her head. "Even Pirates need love. Same as Witches," she added quietly. Her eyes had turned to Lorne. She had began to find a friend in him already that day and was worried about him. She reached out and gently placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder as she concluded, "And everybody else." Looking back at Angel and the catwomen, she told them, "I think you should try Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love."

"How do we get her to appear to us?" Katrina asked.

"That I don't know," Piper told her with a tiny shake of her head, "but I'd be willing to bet that that's who it is. I don't have any real training, but Greek mythology was the closest that my Mother would ever let me get to reading the real books. Aphrodite was always flitting around, making people fall in love, and it tended to work about as fast as those two did."

"Gabrielle would know," Angel thought aloud. "I think she and Xena have been to Greece. Blue, go and bring Gabrielle." When Blue looked at him, clearly not understanding who he intended, he tried instead, "Go and bring Captain Xena here." At that, the dragon took off.

* * *

"Are you okay, Will?" Jack asked, finding himself in an awkward moment and not knowing what to say. "I'm . . . sorry about earlier."

"Earlier?" Will repeated innocently, not daring to turn to look at him.

"Yes. When I trapped you under the bed. I'm afraid I was acting out my dream." He still had not looked Will in the eye.

"Jack, there's . . . " Will had to fight to keep his voice even. "There's nothing to apologize about. You thought I was some one I wasn't; I understand."

Jack glanced at Will and noticed that Will had his back turned to him. He swam around until he was directly in front of him. He then looked Will straight in the eyes, saw his tears, and was ashamed of himself for putting them there. "I'm sorry, Will; I didn't mean to make you cry. I was asleep and dreaming . . . but you don't understand. I thought . . . you had came to my bed willingly," Jack admitted in a softer voice.

Will looked up at Jack in surprise. "But -- But you wouldn't want me in your bed."

"You'll never know how much I want you in my bed, Will. It pains me just to look at you and know that we can never be together. I thought, at first, that you loved Elizabeth and I was happy for you because you seemed to be happy. My feelings didn't matter to me. I only wanted you to be happy, but then Elizabeth told me that you broke up with her because of some one on the ship and . . . Will . . . It hurts, because I know as much as I wish it was me, it isn't. . . . I would kill him if I could get my hands on him, but I want you to be happy so I won't hurt him unless he hurts you." His voice trailed off. He didn't know what else to tell Will. He didn't know how to tell him what was in his heart. Somehow, Jack had always known he would never have a chance with Will even in the very beginning, and it hurt a lot to know that the guy he loved was on his ship.

Will had watched and listened to Jack in complete shock, but as Jack stopped speaking and Will realized that he had indeed heard what he thought he had, a slow smile began to grow over his face. He swam over to Jack, closing what little distance remained between them, and raised trembling fingers to touch his cheek. "Jack," he asked, his voice barely a breath for he was still having trouble getting past the shock that his dream was coming true. "Jack, how . . . How would you go against yourself?"

Jack lifted disbelieving eyes to look back in Will's eyes. "That's the same thing Wolverine asked me, but I didn't believe him. You can't be saying what I think you're saying. I've been waiting too long to hear that, Will. I don't think I'm awake yet."

"But I am," Will persisted sincerely, "and whether you're awake or not, whether you're real or some figment of my imagination, I'm done lying and hiding. I -- " he paused to gaze even deeper into Jack's eyes. "I love you, Jack Sparrow!"

Jack's heart gave a mighty leap as though it would shoot straight out of his chest. "Will?" he whispered. "I love you! I have loved you since the first minute I saw you, but I did not know it. I just felt a very strong attraction to you. I didn't know it when we fenced together. I don't think I realized it until you saved my life at the cost of your own. Then I denied it to myself. I have many treasures but none that I hold dearer than your friendship. I never dared dream I could actually hold your heart." He finally ceased talking and pulled Will to him, his lips seeking his.

There was so much that Will had to tell Jack, but it could all wait for now he only wanted to feel his beloved's lips on his own at long last. His mouth parted instantly under Jack's as he kissed him with all the passion he'd been saving for so long, that was meant for Jack alone, and that Elizabeth had never felt even the first inkling of.

Jack could hear music playing in his head as he deepened the kiss with Will. He didn't know if it was real or only in his heart, but that didn't matter. Will had been in love with him as much as he was with him, and they had both been afraid of losing each other. All Jack wanted to do now was to take Will back to his cabin and show him how much he loved him, but he was still afraid. He had not the first ideal how to go about it. Would Will know? he wondered. He listened and heard whispers coming from above. He reluctantly broke off the kiss. "Will, we are being observed," he whispered into Will's ear.

"Jack, I have loved you for so long! I started falling in love with you the first time we fenced; I just didn't completely realize it until later while we were out at sea together. I've had to keep it hidden for so long, but I'm through hiding! I love you with everything that I am, and I'll shout it for the whole world to hear if you'd let me!"

"So would I scream it from the highest mountain, but I want to be alone with you. I don't want the world crowding in. If only for a little while, I want it to just be us, alone in my cabin. That's Wolverine and Donkey up there; they seem to be congratulating each other, something about finally getting their boys together."

Before Will could answer, two ropes dropped down in front of them. They looked questioningly up only to find Wolverine and Donkey grinning down at them. "Well, get your butts up here then, boys," Wolverine called, "an' go to your cabin!"

"Yeah!" Donkey added. "We'll leave you alone now that you've got your mess together!"

Jack couldn't help but laugh, and his deep laughter thrilled Will's ears and made his smile grow even more brilliant. It was good to have family who cared and to have those who knew more than you did to help you get your mess together. He beat Will climbing up the rope, then turned around to help him up. "Thanks, guys," Jack said.

Will nodded even as he added, "For everything."

Jack took Will's hand and led him toward the cabin with Wolverine and Donkey looking on and grinning from ear to ear. Jack couldn't wait to get Will's wet clothes off of him. He didn't know where they would go from there but trusted that their hearts would lead them.

* * *

Faith sighed as she took one last dip into the water. She'd hoped that the sea might get her betraying mind off of that annoying kid, but her thoughts just kept going right back to him. She had retrieved a rock a few seconds before and now tossed it up to the ship's deck as she started to make her way back up the rope she'd left dangling down.

Dawson lay in his new hiding place, watching and hoping to see Faith naked once more. He thought he'd never seen any one as beautiful as his Faith, and he only wished that he dared come out and stroke her silky, satiny skin. He longed to do so but knew it would be a fatal mistake. Something came flying out of nowhere and landed almost on top of him. He yelped before he could stop himself. He lay on his back with his hand over his mouth, hardly daring to breathe. Had she heard him? He certainly hoped not!

Faith had barely leapt onto the deck when she heard a yelp. Her head shot up at the sound. "Dawson?" His name left her lips before she could stop herself. It couldn't be . . .

He heard her call his name but did not answer. He was ever so extremely relieved when Salem said, "Nope. Me! You almost hit me! Be careful where you throw those things!" He came sauntering out of his own hiding place so that Faith could see him.

She shook her head, her dark eyes narrowed at the black cat. "That wasn't your voice."

Screwing his face up, Salem made a high-pitched yelp as close to Dawson as he could. It came close but was not near enough to convince her. "You scared me, girl!" he insisted. "That thing almost hit me!"

She looked down at him but shook her head. "You're hiding something, or maybe I should say some one." She stepped past him.

"And you're full of it!" Salem snapped. "Why would I be hiding anything? I was simply trying to take a nap, and you disturbed my rest!" He walked back over to where the fallen rock lay and kicked it with his back foot, rolling it to her. "That thing almost ended my days!"

"You can look, but you aren't going to find anything because there isn't anything here. I know you won't be satisfied until you do, so go right ahead." He laid down and began to wash his paws, watching her. "You know you're about to miss supper," he added nonchalantly with a flick of his tail.

"I had an apple earlier after I killed some one who happened to be slightly more annoying than you," she returned irritably. "In other words, I'll live," she continued dryly, "but thanks for the concern." Turning her attention back to where the rock had landed, she started to walk nearer when the ship suddenly seemed to surge.

She cursed as her feet were nearly knocked out from under her. "It never ends," she muttered, snatching up her clothes. She loved battles, but they could certainly be aggravating when they interrupted something. She dressed swiftly while glancing around at the crates around them. "I guess you're right," she told Salem.

"I don't know what I was thinking," she added, her teary eyes looking right at the shadows where Dawson was hiding but never seeing him. "He's probably dead anyway."

When the ship had surged, it had caused Dawson to roll across the floor. His heart froze in his chest as Faith's eyes stared right at him; he was careful not to move so that he did not give himself away. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes. He would never have thought those tears were for him if he had not seen them himself and heard her words. If some one else had told him about it, as Salem had attempted to earlier, Dawson would have thought they had lied. He wanted to go to her and comfort her but knew that if he even tried that, she'd throw him overboard herself. He held himself completely still, praying that she would not see him, and was extremely relieved when she didn't.

Faith quickly buttoned her pants, then grabbed her sword. "Speaking of which, it's time to go kill again so you might want to -- " Her voice abruptly broke off as darkness suddenly engulfed them and the worst stink she'd ever smelled hit her nose.

Dawson's nose was assailed by the most Gods-awful stench he had ever smelled. What was the awful thing putting out such a stench! Did it intend to eat them! He prayed that it didn't. The only weapon he had was the dagger that Brendan had given him earlier, and something that smelled so awful had to be way bigger than anything the dagger could put down. He cringed against the floor, trying to make himself smaller. His eyes peered in every direction he could look in as he hoped to see what was causing the awful stench before it saw him.

* * *

Wolf had made love to Elvira so many times that he had lost track of the actual number. It wasn't that he was not getting off, because he had every time. It was instead that his body burned so much for hers. After having been deprived of sexual completion his entire life, he had finally found a woman who was more than a match for him. He knew he really should be about his duties, but since no one had actually called for him by name, there was no way that he was coming out of the crow's nest.

It was during one of their rest sessions where he was simply laying, holding her, and reveling in the glow of their passion that the ship surged. He released her reluctantly, rolled to his feet, and peered anxiously downward, trying unsuccessfully to see what was going on. He could see nothing but felt the hair on his arms stand straight up. He sniffed the air, and the worst scent he had ever smelled hit his nose. The thought of Elvira was the only thing that kept him from immediately succumbing to the smell. "I don't know what's going on down there, Elvira. Maybe I should get dressed and go down, but I don't want to leave you."

Elvira had gotten to her feet, as well, and was about to answer Wolf when some one joined them in the crow's nest. Her black eyes shot wide with surprise as she looked at the other woman. "Delvira?"

Wolf turned around just in time to see a woman join them in the crow's nest. She was the spitting image of his Elvira, and he heard Elvira greet her by name. "What?" he asked, confusion showing on his face. Now there were two of them? He didn't think he could handle both of them. Elvira was needing his utmost attention, and they were an equal match. He didn't want the other one, but he didn't even get a chance to say anything before the newcomer reached out, touched Elvira, and they both vanished instantly.

He howled out his rage and frustration. Where had Elvira gone! Where had that bitch taken his woman! He continued to howl even as he fought wolfing out. Normally, he had no trouble controlling his wolf, but when he got really angry, like he was now, it always threatened to come out. "BRING HER BACK!" he screamed. Then he howled again. He was quickly losing control, and he knew it.

Seconds later, the weird stench filled his nose even more. Wolf felt himself losing it completely as he fell backward and over the side of the crow's nest. What? was the last thought he had before he passed out from the stench. He fell end over end until he fell on some one, knocking them out cold.

* * *

Jack had been trying to get Will's boots off and was thrown forward onto Will when the ship surged. He righted himself as he pulled the last boot off. "What the Hell was that? Did we hit a rock?" he asked, running to his closet and searching for pants. Not only were there no pants in his closet, but he could not find a single article of clothing. "WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES!" Jack bellowed. "WHO'S BEEN IN HERE! THEY'VE ROBBED ME BLIND!"

Will squatted beside the chest that sat at the end of the bed. He was just lifting its lid when an anguished howl met their ears. His head snapped up, and his wild eyes turned questioningly toward Jack.

"We're under attack!" Jack explained. "That's Wolf! I've got to have a pair of pants; I'm not going out there naked! Wolverine can fight in the nude, but I'm not! Is there anything in the chest?" he queried hopefully.

Will looked down at the chest's contents, and his surprise registered in his voice as he answered, "It looks like somebody emptied your entire closet in here!"

"Great! Throw me a pair of pants," Jack requested and Will did so. He caught them and slipped them on quickly. Then grabbing a sword, he ran out on deck. Will followed suit, the Governor's sword in his hand.

It was the darkest Hellhole they had ever been in. They could see nothing, but the stench filled the air. They heard something hit the deck and turned toward the sound. Squinting as hard as they could, they could barely make out two forms who they thought were Wolverine and Donkey topple over each other and fall out cold. Wolf's howl split the air again before falling abruptly silent, and their blood ran cold.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	31. Chapter Thirty

**Chapter Thirty**

Every one was asleep but Lex. He sat with his back against the wall and watched his small family sleeping. Julian and Sarah were under Clark's cot on a pallet that Lex had put under there. None of them were making a sound. That wasn't why Lex had been unable to take a nap. His mind kept flashing back to the fight that they had had that day and Clark's wild eyes shooting flames. It had scared the crap out of him.

Clark had been going through a lot of changes lately. They had been taking them in their stride together, but Lex really didn't know what to do to help him this time. Clark had told him that he had had no control over the fire which meant that it could happen again at any time. Lex dreaded the next time and prayed that they would not be aboard the ship. He could think of nothing more horrible than being caught in the middle of the ocean with their ships burning. Sweat broke out on his body even as he tried desperately to move his thoughts away from the horrid images that filled his mind.

What were they to do about the kids? They both seemed to have formed a bond with Clark immediately, and Lex had found himself being drawn to them, as well. He would have liked to be able to keep them. In fact, he was thinking about doing just that as he did not know anywhere that he could leave them that they would be safe. He didn't want them to think that Clark and he would abandon them, but he wasn't sure that they would make the best parents.

He needed to have time with Clark alone so that they could discuss the children. Did Clark want the kids as much as he did? he wondered. Julian reminded him so much of his little brother that the boy had been an instant tug on his heart. Clark had needed reassuring just as the two kids had. At that moment, Lex felt all alone in the world. He knew he had to be the strong one, because now not only did he have Clark to watch out for but he had the kids and wanted to make the best decision for all concerned.

His stomach rumbled, reminding him that none of them had had anything to eat. He rose to go to the galley as he could smell something delicious cooking and intended to get something for all of them to eat. He had almost made it to the door when a stink worse than anything he'd ever smelled before hit him. What the Hell was it! A Demon of some kind? If it was, Lex would have sworn that it had never bathed!

His hand groped blindly for his sword which hung by his side. The only time he ever took it off was when he went to bed with Clark; he even kept it by their bedside at night. If some one attacked, he had to be ready to take care of his beloved. He stepped outside only to be met with total darkness. Not even one light shone anywhere yet he could hear sounds of things falling all over the place. "WHAT IS IT?" he called out loud. "IS ANY ONE OUT THERE?"

* * *

Xena looked at Gabrielle even as Autolycus fled from their sight. "I can't believe you kept that from me."

"I didn't want you to kill him, and I knew you would have wanted to just as badly as I would have had he tried it with you."

"No more secrets, Gabrielle, of any kind, regardless of the outcome. Promise?"

"Xena," she started, stepping closer to her, "had I thought about it earlier, I would have told you then. I'm not keeping anything else from you, and I won't."

"When I think about his hands touching you, I want to cut both of them off. No one should ever touch you but me." She had stepped closer to Gabrielle when the ship had surged, throwing her against Gabrielle and almost knocking them both down. "What the Hell was that!" Xena wondered, hoping that they had not run over a rock or anything that had hurt the ship.

Still holding Gabrielle in her arms to keep them both from falling, she glanced warily around only to have her nose met with the most awful stench she had ever smelled and sudden darkness to descend on them. Seconds later, she heard Lex hollering and demanding to know if any one was out there. "I DON'T SEE ANYTHING, LEX," she called back, "BUT SOMETHING'S DEFINITELY HERE WITH US AND IT DAMN SURE STINKS!"

* * *

From somewhere in the darkness, a door swung open and two voices were heard chattering so busily away that only the two men could follow each other. They fell abruptly silent, however, as the stench hit their noses. "Morph," Tom started as the horrid smell seemed to sweep into his every pore, "get to the girls -- " He had been about to say more when he suddenly toppled over.

Morph moved to catch his friend but was not in time. Tom fell on top of him, knocking him to the deck. Morph's head hit the deck hard even as he, in turn, landed on Meesy. The three fell out in a tangled assortment of legs, arms, heads, and tails.

"MORPH?" Lex called to them. "TOM?" No answer met his ears. He realized that the stench must have gotten the better of the catman's superior senses, but what had happened to Morph? His eyes continued to probe the darkness for any sign of life. He had heard Xena, but hers was the only other voice to respond thus far. Where was everybody? He tried to stay calm as he waited for some sign of what was attacking them.

* * *

The small group that had gathered in concern over Lorne and Crys' near copulation had been right in the middle of trying to figure out what had happened and why when all light had suddenly gone out in the galley. At the same time, a terrible stench unlike anything any of them had ever smelled before had overpowered the wonderful smells that Piper had been creating. Angel was the first to fall out; he was quickly followed by Lorne and then Elvira and Cindy. The Lewises were next; they completed the circle of unconscious bodies around Crystal and Piper. Blue had started to go for Captain Xena but never made it out the door; he crashed to the deck instead, out cold.

Both Piper and Crys had gasped fearfully when Angel and Lorne had fallen out without any warning, but Crystal had screeched in terror when her girls had followed suit. She'd jumped up and had barely left her chair to run to check on them when Celina had fallen into her chair, followed by Katrina landing across her lap. Something else hit the deck, and the women whirled toward the sound. Crystal fought to keep the fear from her voice as she called out, "Blue?" When the dragon failed to answer, she knew that all three of her beloved familiars were out.

"What's going on?" Crys barely heard Piper's words as she knelt beside Cindy and Elvira, checking both of their vital signs. Their hearts were beating steadily, but they were definitely unconscious. She paid no notice to Piper or anything else in the galley as she rushed from them to Blue.

Piper had watched a shadow that she could only presume was Crys as the other woman raced about the room, checking on her babies. She had just gotten to her feet and began to approach the Lewis sisters when Cole shimmered in. She whirled to meet him, tears shining in her eyes. "Oh, Cole, thank Gods! Something terrible's happening!"

Before Cole could even answer, the stench overcame him to the point that he collapsed at Piper's feet, face down. She screamed at the sight and dropped to her knees. She held his chest to her body even while holding his wrist with two fingers and trying to calm her whirling mind enough to check his pulse.

Crystal, meanwhile, had moved from Blue to Angel. She knew that he would not have a pulse and was at a loss as to how to check on him. All she could do was to quickly run her hands over his body and affirm that no part of him that she dared to touch in the darkness had turned to dust. She did not even pause long enough to breath a sigh of relief that he appeared to be in tact but rushed on to Lorne.

The memory of their earlier discussion reminded Crys that Lorne's heart was not in a normal place. She did not know if she would even be able to read his pulse but grasped his wrist nonetheless. She was rewarded with a faint heartbeat but realized that she had no ideal how frequently his heart should be beating. She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out in frustration and forced herself to think.

Blue's, Cindy's, and Elvira's pulses had all proved to be steady and normal for their species. Angel and Lorne appeared to be all right, as well, but were no more conscious than her trio. What could have done this? What could have caused them to all fall out so suddenly, without even so much as one forewarning sign that they did not feel well? The smell could have knocked her babies out. It might have even been able to do so to Angel and the Lewis sisters, but what about Lorne and Cole, who she had heard Piper talking to a mere heartbeat before he had joined the others?

Just what _was_ causing the stench, any way? What had attacked them? Why were her beloved animals out? What force dared to endanger not only what little family she had left but Angel, who so stubbornly refused to release his persisting claim as her "big brother" despite the danger he knew she placed him in, and Lorne, whose remembered kisses still tasted so sweet on her lips? What had done this to them all?

Where fear had clouded Crystal's face was now left only anger. She turned to where she had last seen Piper, and her commanding voice was icy cold as she instructed her. "Stay here, and protect them with your life. I'll be back." Turning again, she raced from the galley without bothering to give Piper a chance to answer.

* * *

Fred had been walking around the Witch in search of Wesley ever since fleeing the shocking discussion that the Halliwells had gotten so deeply involved in. She still could not believe that they would carry on so openly about sex and orgies, and her face had still been burning in embarrassment when all light had suddenly gone out. She had screeched but remained rooted to the spot even as a stench had hit her nose. She had smelled some awful things in her father's laboratory as a child and later in the stalls she had mucked out in her desperate bid for survival, but never had she smelled anything that even began to come close to what was then assailing her crinkled nose.

She had barely began to be able to react to the horrid stink, however, when a sound like a gunshot had gone off just past the railing. She screamed, turned, and ran. She could not see where she was going for the absolute darkness that surrounded the ships, and it was not long before she tripped over something. She cried out as she fell forward, but two strong arms caught her reassuringly. She recognized their touch instantly.

"Fred," Wesley asked in deep concern, "are you all right?"

She nodded, though he could not see her. "Ah -- Ah -- Ah am now. Wes, what's goin' on? Are -- Are we bein' attacked? Ah -- Ah heard a gunshot, but that's all except for the darkness an' this _awful_ stench."

Doctor Doom was never one to admit uncertainties when avoidable, but Wesley found that he could not lie to Fred. "I am not sure," he told her, "but stay with me and I will protect you." He had already steadied her, and he released her from one hand. Within the next second, she found him pressing something soft into her hand. "Here; cover your nose with this. I'm afraid it will not help much, but anything is better than nothing to defend against this smell."

She did as he instructed and discovered that he had given her his handkerchief. "Thank you." She pressed it gratefully to her nose but found that it did extremely little to block out the stench.

His other hand continued to hold to hers as he told her, "Stay with me." He grasped the railing with his free hand and began to slowly lead their way on through the darkness. He could see Xena and Gabrielle standing ahead by the light of a torch and headed for them.

* * *

Prue had heard the screams coming from the galley and was trying to make her way there in the dark. She had her hand on the wall to make sure that she was close to the ship and not near the railing. All she needed was to fall overboard in this madness; they'd never notice she was gone until it was too late! Where could Brendan be in this chaos? She hoped he was safe. She was about to touch the door to the galley when it swung out and almost hit her. "Who -- Who's there?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice from trembling as badly as her nerves were.

Crystal's firm voice answered Prue. She did not waste time with giving her name but told her instead, "Get in there. Stay with your sister and the others. I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to find out." Despite herself, Crystal's voice was considerably softer as she added, "Protect them for me." Even then, her heart was thundering in her chest, but she focused on her anger rather than her fear.

"I will," Prue answered her as she pushed the galley door and continued feeling her way inside. "Piper?" she called out, hoping her sister would answer.

A sob called back to her from the floor. "Prue, I don't know what's going on, but Cole's out! He's out! Lorne's out! Angel -- the Lewises -- those animals!

"Keep talking to me, Piper; I'll find you by the sound of your voice," Prue's calm voice instructed her sister. "It must be a spell of some kind. I can't imagine what could cause such an awful stench unless whatever it is has been long dead and some one woke it and sent it after us! And what do you mean they're out?"

Piper's fluttering, terrified voice answered Prue in babbling. "I don't know what happened, but they just started falling out! Angel fell out at the table, then Lorne, Crystal's group, and the Lewises! Then Cole showed up," she cried, "and he fell out right at my feet!"

Prue followed the sound of Piper's voice and was soon at her sister's side. As she knelt down beside Piper, Prue realized that her sister was holding on to Cole as though the thought of letting go of him terrified her. "Is he breathing?" she asked.

"He's breathing," Piper affirmed, "and -- and I think his pulse is normal. I don't know, though. I mean, he's a Demon. What would his pulse even be like! And nobody else in here is normal either! At least, I don't think they are! Lorne's a Demon! The Lewises are . . . _something_! And I _swear_ I saw Crys fix Angel a drink with _blood_!"

"She probably did, Piper," Prue replied. "He's a Vampire. We have a strange assortment of people aboard. There's at least two Werewolves, the catpeople, one Vampire, and Gods know what else! None of them probably have vital signs like we do. The best way to tell is to see if they're breathing. If they're actually breathing, then you know they'll be okay. Vampires don't breathe, so I don't know what to do for him. Did you check them to see if they were breathing?"

Piper shook her head. "I checked Cole, but Crystal checked the others except for the Lewises. I don't know how she checked Angel or even Lorne, but I saw her do something with them. Or at least I think I did. It's so hard to see anything in here!"

"Then they are simply unconscious," Prue insisted, still hoping that her calmness might relax Piper. "The stench probably overcame their senses. Don't worry. I'm sure the Captains will do something about our situation. I don't know why it didn't knock us out except that our senses are not elevated as much as the others. I heard things falling out all over outside. I'm not sure what it was. Probably people and animals. I hope they fix our problem soon." She sat beside Piper, reached out, and took her sister's hand. "Don't panic, love. Things will turn out all right."

Piper's mind was whirling. First, they had lost their Mother and Grandmother but had been rescued by such wonderful people. Were they to lose them, too, and so soon? She did not answer Prue, but silent tears streaked down her face.

"I saw Brendan a little while ago," Prue, who could not see Piper's tears in the darkness, finally spoke again. "I took him and Wes some food. Brendan didn't wolf out when he saw me. I hope that's a good sign."

"It sh-should be," Piper started, her voice trembling, "but . . . but Prue, what if it's not just their senses? What if whatever is causing all of this is something that -- that they can't fight or -- or whatever?"

"Don't fear, Piper. Cole's not going to die on you, not yet. I think they'll return to normal once the Captains get the stench gone. You'd better get a good grip on Cole so that you can at least get a kiss when he wakes up. You could kiss him now, you know. It's dark. I couldn't see you two, and you're never going to get a better chance. In fact, I'll move a little ways away."

"You could lay him down and snuggle up against him. The best thing we can do right now is rest. You rest. I'll keep my ears open in case they call us, and I'll stay alert to danger. You just spend a few moments with Cole. He might not consciously know it, but his subconscious will."

Even as she talked, Prue had moved a few spaces away and, finding a chair, had pulled herself up into it. She hoped Piper would take advantage of this short time but feared she would not. Time was a precious thing that they never seemed to have enough of. She was not too worried. She trusted both Captains to handle the situation, but just in case, she'd be ready to protect her group.

Piper had tried to protest at Prue's improper suggestions, but her sister had not given her a chance to do so. She had only continued talking and moved away before Piper had been able to stop her. She looked down at Cole and found that she could not even make out his face for the darkness that engulfed the room. She would love to be able to kiss him, to be able to do anything that Prue suggested, but she knew she could not. She was a lady and would never act in such a manner.

But, she thought, what would it hurt to hold him? She could put it down to her being worried over his unconsciousness, and she would love to feel him that close to her. Slowly, she inched further down until she lay on the floor next to him. She reached out, her arms wrapping around him and pulling him closer. She let his head rest on her bosom, and one of her hands somehow found his left breast. She could feel the beating of his heart underneath her palm, and she concentrated on that feeling.

She began to slowly relax as she focused on his heart's beating. She found herself slipping toward slumber and only then realized how exhausted she was from everything that had happened that day. They had known something terrible was coming for weeks, and thinking back, Piper realized that she could not even remember the last time she had rested well. Still, she refused to fall asleep. She didn't know what was happening, but she was determined to be there for Cole and the others whenever whatever it was came to a head.

Prue could feel her sister falling asleep and tried to keep her mouth closed so that she would sleep. She was curious as to what Piper had decided to do with Cole but couldn't see a thing except for the small glow given out by the oven. She wondered how close the food was to being done. Making her way carefully toward the oven, she felt around for a cloth and opened the oven door. She was relieved to see that the food was nowhere near ready. The pie crusts were still white.

She knew she'd have to keep watch on it as well as the others. She sat down in a chair she felt that was near to the oven but moved it away because it was a little too warm for her preference. She'd keep an eye on the food; that would give her something to do while she waited. She could hear Piper's gentle, easy breathing from across the room and realized that sleep had at last overtaken her little sister. Prue hoped that whatever had befallen them would pass quickly or she, too, might fall asleep.

* * *

The very moment that Prue had left, Crys had carefully gripped her crystal in two fingers. She did not know where the ships kept their torches but always knew where to find a light. For a moment, she closed her eyes, relaxed her breathing, and tried to still her racing heart as she concentrated. Jack? The crystal's light shone out, breaking through the darkness like a ray of blue sunlight, as it sent her thought spiraling through the world toward the one who it was intended for.

Cuz? Jack's worried voice sounded within Crystal's head only a heartbeat later. What's wrong?

Long story, she answered, her eyes snapping open, but right now I need the light. The crystal's light penetrated only a small amount of the darkness, but it was plenty for Crystal's trained eyes to see by. She began to run toward the deck even while forming an object of ice in her other hand.

I've got plenty of time, Jack told her. What's going on? I've felt something with you for hours today.

It's too long to go into now.

Crys . . .

Okay. Just give me a second. She had barely thought those words to him when Crystal dove over the Sea Witch's railing. As she fell, she tossed the object she had created below her feet. Her bare feet easily met the object's surface, and she began to glide through the air on the ice disc. She stayed low and swung her crystal so that its light would pass over what she was flying over. She immediately found what was causing the stench that filled her nose and had caused the others to pass out, but the discovery shocked her so much that she nearly released her crystal. Oh. My. GODS!

Crys, Jack questioned, his alarm clear in his mental voice, what is it!

You're never going to believe this . . .

Try me.

I'm flying over something that I swear, for all appearances, Jack, looks like a . . . like a sea of _shitt_! It was then that something bobbed up at her from the liquid substance; she grimaced even more at the sight of it. The mudhole, though it looked much more like a certain part of anatomy, farted, and with the fart came a spray of liquid dung. Crystal screeched in sickened horror as she barely managed to whip away from it in time.

Crys, are there . . . Are there little things farting up at you?

Jack, how in the -- !

He broke her off. I hate to tell you this, but . . .

Out with it! Whatever this is and whatever's behind it has caused Cindy, Blue, Elvira, Angel, and Lorne to all pass out! So just get it out already!

Her tone was far angrier than she ever took with him, but he did not call her on it for he knew her anger came from her concern. He answered instead, The Bog of Eternal Stench.

She stopped, frozen still in the air, as his words hit her. You mean from the legend about the Goblin King?

There's only one.

And there's only one who could . . .

Yep. He nodded though she could not see him.

Crap!

He could not help a small chuckle at that. Precisely. There was a pause as Crystal continued to contemplate what he had just told her and Jack remembered her earlier words. Crys . . . ?

Yes?

Who's Angel?

* * *

Faith had been trying to find a torch when a light had suddenly appeared not ten feet across from her. Her head whipped to look at it, and she could barely make out Lex's form by the torch's firelight. "I'm going over there," she announced, turning to Salem. "You want to come?"

Lex saw Faith and called out to her, "WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING MORE THAN YOU DO," she called back, "BUT I'LL BE OVER THERE IN A MINUTE!" Turning her attention back to Salem, she asked, "Salem?"

Salem had gone almost white. He was one of the last cats not to have passed out, and the only thing that had managed to keep him awake so far had been his fear of Jareth. The last time he had seen Jareth, they had almost killed each other. Salem had barely managed to escape simply because he had been turned into a cat. "No," he gasped out. "I'll stay here." He fell face forward, out cold.

Faith gasped and dropped to her knees beside the cat. She quickly checked his vital signs and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt his pulse. "No, you're not," she told his unconscious form. "I'm taking you with me, and I'm going to kill whatever's doing this to us." She gathered him with gentleness that would have surprised any who had known it and stood again.

Dawson had tied his bandana around his nose, trying to cut down some of the stench but to no avail. He didn't think it was safe for Faith to leave one ship to go to the other, but he couldn't do anything about it. He stayed quiet and continued to watch, hoping something would appear soon so that they could actually get to fighting it if need be.

Faith had to sheathe her sword in order to grab a rope with her free hand. As she sailed over to the Pearl, she glanced down and couldn't help screeching in alarm at what she saw. "WHAT THE **_HELL_** IS THAT!" She could only describe the body of water beneath them as vast amounts of liquid dung that seemed to be farting even as she passed over it, holding tightly to both the rope and Salem.

Lex met her where the rope carried her on the deck. He caught a hold of her, realizing that she was carrying something. He wasn't surprised to see that it was a cat after having seen her earlier that day. He was glad to see that she had finally made a friend, even if the cat did seem to be totally out of it now. "Good to see you, Faith. Wish the circumstances could be different. I miss the little chats we used to have."

She released the rope and shifted Salem to one arm that wrapped securely around him. Her eyes peered into the darkness as she tried failingly to see if any one was near enough to them to overhear their conversation. "You know my going over to the Witch was for the best, Luthor."

"Well, maybe, if you like it better over there, but I still want you to know that I miss you. I never did get around to thanking you for all the help you've given me with Clark. You're wise beyond your years. Do you have any ideal what's going on?" He figured that, her being Faith, she knew more than she was letting on. They were both bad about keeping secrets. "Let's sit over here on a bench while we wait to see what's going to happen." There was a hook on the wall to hold torches, and Lex sat his in it. "Who's your friend?" he asked.

"Salem," she answered, hesitantly taking the seat beside him, "but he's not a friend. He's just an acquaintance. You know I don't have friends." They had argued about that point many times in the past.

"Why'd you bring him? Wouldn't he have been just as safe over there?"

"Maybe," she answered with a shrug that tried to appear careless, "but maybe not. At least I can watch over him if I keep him with me." She had not meant to let that slip and rushed on, hoping he wouldn't say anything about that. "Besides, I heard something gasp right before we were hit. I think I know who it was, but it probably wasn't." She glared down at Salem. "It also sure as Hell wasn't him, though."

"Got time for a little chat now?" Lex asked. He was not put off by her stand-offish ways. After all, she was Faith, and though she pretended indifference, she had always been there for him.

* * *

Jack had heard both Lex's and Xena's voices and had called out in response to them. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. I'VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH TOTAL DARKNESS. IT'S LIKE WE'RE IN A VOID. SOME ONE POWERFUL IS CAUSING THIS." His voice broke off when his leg was suddenly grabbed by something that wouldn't let go. He shook his leg; then he reached down his hand to feel what had a hold of him. He was expecting to encounter Donkey or maybe one of the cats, but his hand connected with Carl's head. "Carl? What's wrong? Let go of me!"

"N-N-N-N-No!" the Gnome stuttered up at him. "I-I-I-I-I a-a-a-ain't l-l-l-l-letting g-go! I-If h-he g-g-gets m-m-m-m-me, h-h-he'll h-h-ha-have t-t-to g-g-get y-y-you f-f-f-fi-fir-first!"

"Carl, what do you know about this mess we're in, and who is this he you speak of?"

"J-J-J-J-Ja-Jar -- " Between his stuttering and trembling, Carl could not even get the name out.

"Jareth," a firm voice put in as Crystal jumped down onto the deck behind them.

Jack turned toward the sound of the voice and saw the blue glow of the crystal. "Crys, is some one hurt," he asked in concern, "and who's Jareth?"

"If they are, I haven't found them yet, but my babies, Angel, Lorne, even the Lewises . . . are all out." Her strong tone had already been icy but seemed to grow even fiercer as she answered his second question, "Jareth is the King of the Goblins. He owns the Bog of Eternal Stench, which is what we're in. Don't worry, though, Jack. When that asshole shows up, I'll take care of him."

Crys, her cousin's voice called inside her head, what's going on?

I found one of the Captains, she answered him, but I can't tell you about the rest right now.

I still don't believe you kissed him! Jack Frost exclaimed in reference to what she had told him about a certain green Demon. I mean, I'm glad you did -- Gods know you need a man in your life --; but I'm _so_ surprised!

Jack, I can't talk right now. Her thoughts were interrupted by the Captain's voice.

"What's making all those farting sounds?" Jack Sparrow asked. "Is it a giant being of some kind?" His words were accented as another loud, stinking fart, even louder than the last one, erupted. "And why is your crystal glowing?"

"The Bog is both what you're smelling and hearing." She paused before answering his second question. "I . . . I opened a rapport with my cousin."

"What we need is some torches so that we can see what's going on." Jack called out in a loud voice, "WHEREVER YOU'RE AT ON THE SHIP, FEEL AROUND ON THE WALLS! THERE SHOULD BE SOME TORCHES. IF YOU FIND ONE, LIGHT IT AND TAKE YOURSELF TO WHERE OTHERS ARE. HELP EACH OTHER. WE'RE UNDER ATTACK AS YOU ALREADY KNOW. OUR ENEMY SHOULD SOON SHOW HIMSELF; BE PREPARED."

* * *

Captain Sparrow's loud, commanding voice carried over both ships and reached many ears, including two very frightened women who were nearly clinging to each other. "I . . . I don't suppose you know how to . . . ?" Elizabeth started to ask Cordelia.

"Actually, I do," the brunette answered, "but we have to find one first."

Only then did the two leave their hiding spot as they began to feel their way around the Pearl.

* * *

"JACK," Xena called out, "WHAT'S GLOWING OVER THERE? I CAN SEE SOME KIND OF A BLUE LIGHT."

"IT'S JUST CRYS' CRYSTAL; EVERYTHING IS OKAY. AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, WE ARE JUST BEING TREATED TO THIS AWFUL STENCH. NO ONE IS PHYSICALLY INJURED YET." He could see torches being lit in different places on the ship. "Carl," he said, reaching down and patting the Gnome gently on the head, "go to Will. He's right behind me. He'll help to keep you safe."

"Uh-uh!" Carl protested instantly. "H-H-H-He c-c-can't keep me safe l-l-like y-y-you c-c-ca-can, C-C-Cpt'n!"

Jack wondered how he was going to be able to fight with Carl attached to his leg. There was some kind of current carrying the ships along, but no wind seemed to be blowing. Where was Ororo? Could she be any help in this emergency? He called out again, "HAS ANY ONE SEEN ORORO?" Since Ororo was the only Sorceress not unconscious, she was even more important. He prayed she was not knocked out.

No answer came yet to Jack's call for Ororo but Crystal spoke again, this time addressing Carl. "Carl, you can go to Will. You will not need protection for much longer," she told him confidently, speaking through gritted teeth, "because when that bastard shows up, I'm going to ice him." She had never killed another being, but she swore that she would for what he had done to her babies, Angel, Lorne, and the others. Nobody harmed her "children" and got away with it nor would she stand idly by and let such good people as Angel and Lorne be harmed.

And, Jack, she added silently, SHUT UP! I can _not_ be with them, and you know very well why I can't!

I know why you won't let yourself be, her cousin insisted, but I have to stand with that Angel fellow on this one, Crys. If those cats can mask you -- and it _is_ possible to mask from him --, there's no reason why you can't stay with them.

There's every reason! I will _not_ get them killed! Her ice blue eyes blazed, and she had to still her feet from pacing the deck in her frustration.

But, Crys, Jack argued, you stand just as much of a chance of doing that as Angel does. Can you really ask him to leave his home, his family? Especially after you had to?

Crystal bit her lip to silence the growl that rose in her throat. No, she admitted snappingly, but I don't have to hear this either! My Gods, Jack, I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand!

Crys, I do understand! he tried to tell her. I understand what it's like to be so afraid of him, to live every day of your life in fear that you're going to get some one else hurt or even killed, but I also know what it's like to yearn for something you can't have. I'd love to be able to settle down somewhere, fall in love, raise a family, all the wonderful things that normal people get to do . . . but my job keeps me from doing any of that. This is your chance!

Maybe you know all that, Jack, Crystal informed him, glad for the anger that kept the tears in her heart from her eyes, but he's never killed because of you. Your job keeps you from being able to live the life you want; he keeps me from being able to do the same. With that, before Jack could have a chance to say anything else, she dropped the crystal back into its hiding place inside her bodice. Its glowing ceased instantly, their rapport having been broken the very second she had stopped touching it.

Crystal turned her mind back to the conversation around her just as Will, who had finally managed to find a torch whose light now illuminated he and Jack, spoke up. "Carl, if you come over here, I'll even hold you up so that you can get a better look. That way you'll at least be able to see what's coming."

Carl continued to clutch at Jack's leg, his trembling growing with each passing second. He started to answer them but was broken off by a yell for help. His eyes shot even wider. "Th-Th-That's m-m-my c-c-co-cousin!" he exclaimed, recognizing the panicked voice instantly.

"Your cousin?" Jack asked in disbelief. "What's he doing out here?"

"H-H-H-He w-w-w-wo-works f-f-for J-J-J-J-Ja-Ja-Ja -- "

"Jareth," Crystal put in.

Carl nodded swiftly. "H-H-H-He's a-a-al-always g-g-getting m-m-ma-mad a-a-at h-h-h-hi-him a-a-an-and th-th-thr-throwing h-h-h-him i-i-i-"

Crystal usually had patience but never did when she was angry or frustrated. "In the Bog," she snapped, finishing the Gnome's statement for him.

"Can you tell where the voice is coming from?" Jack queried. Before they could answer, he called out, "AHOY! Where are ye?"

A gentle voice answered from behind Jack even as several pairs of feet could be heard landing on the deck. "I shall fetch him, Captain."

"There you are, Ororo! Right now you're the only Sorceress we have able to function. The Lewises are out cold. We've got people down all over both ships from this awful stink. Who'd you bring with you?"

"The chi -- " she started to answer but stopped herself. "Phoebe, Paige, and Joxer."

Oh my Gods! he thought. "_Joxer!_ Somebody get a hold of him! Don't let him do anything stupid!"

"Don't worry, Captain," Phoebe's lustful voice answered. "I've got him." She giggled, and Joxer's laughter joined hers.

"And don't do any monkey business on deck! We're in danger; this is not a picnic!"

"How do you know -- !" Paige questioned, her surprise clear in her tone.

"What do you smell, Miss Halliwell? Whatever's putting that out is big, bad, and ugly, and probably likes to eat little girls like you for breakfast."

Ororo had just been lifting higher into the air to go in search of Carl's cousin when she heard Jack answer Paige. She had yet to speak to him in anything but a polite, official manner, but when she spoke this time, her tone was tightened with the underlining of fury. "Jack, do not threaten my goddaughter."

"I'm not threatening her, Ororo, but anything that big . . . We have no ideal what it likes. It could eat every one of us and then go wanting something else, like the ship."

"It's not a monster," Crys put in, "and it's not going to eat anything. It's only a Bog," she reminded him, barely managing to bite back her exasperation. "The worst bog ever in creation but only a bog nonetheless."

"I was referring to this Jareth. You said he was the King of the Goblins? I've seen a few goblins in my time, and they ate everything in their path until we put them down."

"He is human," she informed him, "and as I already told you, you don't need to worry about him. He's not going to have a chance to do anything once he shows his cowardly butt up."

"Phoebe, Paige," Ororo called back down, "stay with them and behave. Phoebe, if you can not keep your hands off of Joxer, I will separate the two of you." Thunder rumbled in warning as she added, "By _force_, if need be."

Jack was relieved that Ororo's attention was drawn off of him. He hoped Crys knew what she was talking about, but he doubted it. How could a human be able to control goblins and not just one goblin but actually be the _King_ of them without becoming a goblin himself?

He remembered the goblins that had had to be hunted down and killed. They had been so powerful that he had still trembled inside when they lay on the ground, presumably dead. They had laid waste to an entire village and had eaten every one of the villagers, even down to the tiniest baby. There had only been two of them. If he was understanding things now, the King of the Goblins was there, and a King never traveled alone.

He wondered what he had done to draw the attention of such a being. He prayed that he would stay alive long enough that he could protect Will and the rest of his family, but even then he trembled inside. What if he couldn't? What could the King possibly want? And, after having made his demand, would Jack even be willing to part with whatever the King wanted? He would not willingly give up any of his people to be goblin food.

* * *

Clark jerked awake. Looking around, he was surprised to find that, even with his great eyes, he could barely make out anything. What had happened to the day? Had he slept that long?

He leaned over the side of the cot and looked under it. Both kids were sound asleep, snuggled up together, but Lex was not in the bed. Clark wondered where his lover was. He got up, padded softly to the door, and looked out. He saw Lex and Faith sitting side by side, deeply engrossed in a conversation.

He knew that if he stuck his head out there, Faith would fly away as she didn't want any one to see her and Lex together or have any clue that she was not the bitch she always made herself out to be. Clark had made the mistake once before of making his presence known when they were talking, and Faith had cussed both of them out and fled. She'd made it appear that she was storming off, but they had known better. Since then, if he saw her talking to Lex, he stayed away.

He could hear voices all over, talking, but even though he was curious, he would not walk away from the children. He went back in and closed the door silently behind him. He would have to speak to the Captain tomorrow to see about getting some private quarters made. He didn't want the kids exposed to some of the stuff that went on in the sleeping quarters. It was bad enough that he and Lex had no privacy, but he certainly did not want the children to see anything they shouldn't.

He laid back on the cot with his hands behind his head and listened to the sounds of the night. He wondered what kind of dead thing was causing all the stink and was surprised at how far he could hear. His surprise grew when he heard a few voices discussing a being called Jareth, who was evidently the King of the Goblins. He felt like he needed to be outside with the rest of the crew but couldn't leave the children.

Where was Carl? He then heard the Gnome's voice pipe up from what sounded like he was next to Jack. He continued to listen in on the other conversations, waiting for this Jareth to make his appearance. If Clark had to, he would leave the children alone long enough to throw Carl in with them so that he could fight.

* * *

Faith's eyes peered out at the darkness that surrounded them; she squinted as she tried to tell if any one else was nearby. "I guess I might have some time," she hesitantly answered Lex. "Doesn't look like whoever's doing this is available for being killed yet."

Lex watched her glance nervously around. "There's no one else here but us. I think most of them are on the other side of the ship, facing the Witch, where Jack is. They tend to sort of hunt the Captain when crap hits the fan."

"Yeah, I know," Faith agreed. "Some of them don't even think they can use the bathroom without him."

"Well, I can at least go to the bathroom without him," Lex said, "but if there's a fight, he's a great man to have at your back. Don't sound so jealous of him, Faith."

"I'm not," she snapped. "Hell, I wouldn't want everybody flocking around me! I'd have to kill some of them until they got the message if they tried that crap."

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe he doesn't either? Maybe he'd like some alone time, especially some alone time with Will since he hasn't had any? He hasn't even had time to let Will know how he feels."

"Like I care?" Faith shot back. "What is it you really want to talk about?"

"What are you so angry at Jack about?" Lex asked.

"Nothing in particular. I just don't have a lot of use for him."

"Since when?" Lex questioned.

"Since always. You should know me enough to know by now that I don't have a lot of use for anybody."

"That's true most of the time, but I've never heard you talk so about Jack."

"Maybe," she admitted, "but when was the last time we talked since I switched ships? I had to bite my tongue a little while I was on the Pearl just like I have to now around Xena."

"If you say so, Faith." He wondered what Jack had done to get on the bad side of Faith but never stopped to think that she might be biting into the Captain simply to have some one to direct her anger and frustration at. "I know you don't have a lot of time to spare, but . . . I just need a little advise."

"Shoot," she returned with an eyebrow quirked questioningly at him.

"Don't tell any one. Clark had another power kick in again today. It . . . was fire," he said in a strange voice. "He's got no control at all over it, and he was shooting fire everywhere. He engulfed that entire stinking auction with flames. I had to take him down and put my shirt over his eyes to make him stop." His voice trailed off.

Faith softened slightly as she listened to Lex. No one else was within hearing distance of them, so she knew she did not have to keep her defense up quite as much as she normally did. "I wondered who did it," she admitted, "but, Lex, you know Clark would never willingly kill any one."

"He never has," Lex interjected. "That's not what I'm afraid of. What if he can't control it? What if some night he gets woken up and the flames shoot out, causing the ship to catch on fire? We could all die out here only he wouldn't. You know he's indestructible. How do you think he'd take that?" he asked worriedly. "What do you think it would do to him?"

"We know how he is, Lex, and we both know that if he ever killed any one, especially some one he loved as much as he loves you, he'd want to kill himself. But what you have to remember is that that's just a chance. There's always a chance of death at any time. Hell, we don't even know if we're going to wake up in the morning."

She paused for a moment, thinking, then continued, "You're going to need to work with him. If he doesn't work on controlling it, the chance that he might get out of control'll only increase." She glanced around at the ship. "But I wouldn't advise working on it until we get to Tortuga."

"We've got another problem, as well."

Looking back to Lex, she tried to read his face. He was worried greatly, and she could think of only one thing that might have him worked up so much besides Clark's powers. "Lex, you know he loves you -- " she started.

"It's not that. There's no problem like what we were having the last time we talked. Those chains worked wonderfully for some new inspiration!" He paused, then blurted out, "We've got kids."

Faith's mouth fell open in shock. "**_What!_**" she finally managed to screech.

"Clark and I have a boy and a girl. I want to keep them, but I worry what kind of parents we would make. I haven't approached Clark with the ideal. I don't know if he'll even go for it, but I don't want to lose the kids. We got them from the auction, and no, we didn't buy them. We rescued them."

"I wouldn't have said anything if you had," Faith put in. "I bought something myself today."

"You did?" Lex asked in surprise, his brows quirked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I did, but he should be long gone now. Besides," she dismissed it in an odd tone of voice that Lex knew was her attempt to keep sadness out of her tone, "it doesn't matter now."

"Why doesn't it matter now?" he questioned.

"Like I said, he should be long gone . . . and . . . and I think . . . " She looked off into the darkness, unable to meet his gaze or even finish her statement.

"He's probably okay, Faith, wherever he's at. You could go look for him."

"No, I can't. I had Jack get rid of him," she explained.

"Oh. Sorry. What do you think about the kids?" he asked, trying to say something that would distract her from the sadness she was fighting. "Do you think Clark and I would make good parents, or do you think we should try to find some one else to take them? The little boy's name is Julian, and the girl's is Sarah. They're attached to Clark, and they're _so_ cute together! I think Clark would make a great mother, but I'm not so sure about me. You know my past."

She turned back to look at him, her eyes shimmering with tears she refused to allow to come to the surface. "You're right about Clark. I know he loves children; I've seen him with them before. He's gotta be the gentlest of all of us, and he'd make a great mo -- a good parent."

Silently taking a deep breath, she turned closer to him so that her eyes could look directly into his. Although he had not fully admitted what he was afraid of, she knew what it was without his having to say it. "And so would you. You wouldn't turn out like your father, Lex, and I bet you'd do everything you could with them to make up for the way he was and the way you know others are. You'd be there for them when they needed you, and you'd never raise a hand to them in anger. You'd be the complete opposite of that asshole."

"Do you really think so?" he queried hopefully. "My anger gets out of hand sometimes."

"No, I don't think so." He started to say something, but she continued before he could. "I _believe_ so." She could count the number of things she believed in on one hand, but Lex's being the complete opposite of his father was certainly on there. "I've seen you when you're pissed, Lex, and know what you're talking about, but I also know that you've never hurt Clark. You never would, and you wouldn't hurt them any more than you would him."

"But I hit Clark once in anger. It was before we became one. My anger and frustration got the worst of me. It haunts me, and though Clark never talks about it, I'm sure it's on his mind sometimes."

"I remember that, but I also remember when it happened. You were still fighting your feelings for him. You hadn't let yourself admit that you loved him yet, but now that you know you do, you'd never hurt him."

"I hate myself for that, Faith. What if, just once, I lost it again? I'd hate myself forever, and they'd all hate me. I'm not perfect, and I'm not good even though I try to be. You should have seen us fighting today, but I know you were busy fighting yourself. I enjoyed killing those bastards. I relished each and every one of them. That's the dark side of me. I could bathe in my enemy's blood and never have second thoughts about it."

"Clark almost killed some one, but I killed them for him. If he had killed even one person knowingly, it would have destroyed him. He's not a killer. He's the most gentle, loving, and kind person I've ever seen even though, with his powers, he could take over the world. He hasn't any inclination at all toward it, as you know. He's the best part of us, and he makes me want to be the best I can be. Thank you for helping me and him to get together." He reached out and squeezed her hand gently. "You know I'll always be here for you if you need me. He will too."

"Lex, you know I don't need anybody," she retorted instantly. "_But_," she continued hesitantly, her voice softening again, "if I did, I'd know where to come." She sighed. "I could tell you a thousand times that you aren't your father and that you'd never hurt them, but that's something you're going to have to come to terms with yourself. I can't make you believe the truth about you, but your going after your enemies the way you do while Clark's so gentle that it's ridiculous has nothing to do with your being a bad person. It's _good_ to want your enemies dead; if you didn't, they'd walk all over you and Clark the way Lionel used to do you."

"No one's ever going to hurt Clark or the kids, not if I can help it. I might have to talk to you again about this. You've always been good at encouraging me. I'm glad to have you in my corner."

"It's true about my Father. He killed my Mother, little brother, and lover and almost killed me. Every time I go after an enemy, I pretend it's him. One day, I'm going to kill him, and I don't think I'll ever be free until I do."

"When you do," Faith put in, grinning, in a failing attempt to lighten both their moods, "you can borrow my _special_ sword." It was only then that she realized that she still wore it and that she would have to rely on her dagger in the coming battle.

A brief smile passed over Lex's face but vanished as quickly as it had come. He continued, "I know deep in my heart that I'm nothing like him, but I still know it's possible for it to be hiding in there. Something could make it come out. I have a Demon hiding in me, Faith, and I want to kill that Demon."

He looked at her, his eyes having more of a shine to them than before. His hangdog expression was gone. Just having talked to her, a friend who was not judgmental of his dark side though she would never have admitted to being such, had helped. "I'll talk to Clark about this tomorrow. I'm glad he's asleep."

"If you could have seen him earlier . . . He was so scared that he was trembling. He's scared of his own self, and that's not good. He doesn't know that I, too, fear his firepower. I'd never leave him for any reason, and I'll do the best I can to help him get it under control."

She nodded. "Clark's not like us, Lex, but it's not a strength. It's a weakness. I don't know if he could even kill anybody who hurt you, no matter how badly they did. There's strength in knowing when to kill and being able to do it without letting it haunt you. You need to remember that."

"I need to check on Clark and make sure he's still asleep. I can show you the kids." He looked at her questioningly.

She shook her head. "I need to stay here and be ready whenever whatever's screwing with us shows up."

"I'll be right back. I just need to be sure that they're safe." He got up, retrieved the torch, walked over to the door of the sleeping quarters, and glanced inside. All was as he had left it. Clark and the kids had remained asleep; Lex would have never dreamed that his lover was only faking it. He closed the door softly and returned to Faith.

"They're still asleep," he said. "It's the best thing for now. I hate all this waiting." He put the torch back in the holder and walked over to the railing, peering out into the night. "WHATEVER YOU ARE," he yelled into the night, "SHOW YOURSELF!"

"Thatta boy," Faith called jestingly after him with a grin that she did not feel. She did not rise to join him but stayed seated, stroking Salem absently. Even now, she could not forget Dawson, and she growled under her breath. What the _Hell_ was wrong with her!

**To Be Continued . . . **


	32. Chapter Thirtyone

**Chapter Thirty-one**

Ororo tried not to let the stench get to her as she flew over the bog, her blue eyes unable to believe what her lightning bolts illuminated. She had never seen anything like this bog before and had trouble believing that it was only that. After all, what bog was filled with dung that farted constantly up at her?

Hoggle tried to see anything but lightning bolts, but he couldn't. Some one was coming to rescue him! At last, he would get out of there! Jareth had put him in there so long ago that Hoggle could no longer remember exactly when it had happened, and he had simply forgotten about him except for the daily buzzard dropping of food. Hoggle wanted out of the Bog more than he had ever wanted anything else! He yearned for the daylight!

He had been unable to help the deceit that had gotten him thrown into the Bog. He had been caught between a rock and a hard place and had had to either work with Helvira or be eaten. He had tried to explain that to Jareth, who had refused to listen and had instead just tossed him in. Hoggle had clung to the tree he had managed to land on; he had sat on the limb the entire time, never getting down to the point that the Bog could get on him. Yet, after all that time, the Bog was still the only thing he could smell. He had not even been able to sleep well for fear that he would fall off of the limb.

He had given up calling Jareth a long time ago. Jareth didn't care; he never had. Hoggle knew that Jareth would leave him dangling there until he had need of him again. He had done it before in the past but never for such a long time. It would have done him no good to call Delvira, either, for she simply would have lobbed fireballs at him until he had fallen out of the tree. But rescue, at last, was at hand! Some other unhappy travelers had fallen into Jareth's trap, and even though he could not get out of the Bog, it would feel great to get other people around him and a steadier surface under his feet.

He was surprised to see a flying woman coming at him. "Who are you?" he asked. "And thanks for saving me!"

Ororo turned toward the voice that called to her and was relieved to see the little man who had been screaming for help. "Thank Goddess I finally found you!" she exclaimed. "I had begun to fear that thing had swallowed you. My name is Ororo Munroe. You are quite welcome, but I must warn you. We will not return to the ship by a normal manner." She hovered in front of him as she explained, "The winds will carry us." She reached a hand out toward the strange, little man as she added, "You may hold to my hand if you wish."

"Will that make me fly too?" he questioned. The first smile that he had worn in years spread over his face as he thought of being able to fly. "Cool!" He eagerly lifted his hand toward her.

She took his hand gently in her own, then gestured at him with her free hand. Breezes slowly lifted him into the air. She gave him a chance to show any fear, but when he did not, she increased their speed on the journey back to the ship. They were nearly to the Pearl when she saw it begin to shimmer. "Goddess! What now!"

Hoggle screeched, "WE HAVE TO GET ON THE SHIP OR WE'LL BE LEFT BEHIND!"

"HOLD TIGHTLY!" Ororo called to him in warning. The winds whipped around them and shot them onto the ship. For a change, her landing was not graceful as they fell together in a tumbling heap. No sooner had they fallen onto the deck than the stench vanished.

* * *

The ship surged, and Jack almost lost his footing. If it had not been for Carl's unconscious weight on his foot, he would have lost it completely. He looked around and found that they appeared to be back in their own world. He didn't know if it was later than they had left or earlier; time was of no consequence. The being who had done this to them still had not put in an appearance. He breathed deeply of the fresh air and glanced back at Will. "Are you okay?"

Will nodded though his worried eyes continued to flick around. He would have asked Jack but knew that, even if he was not, he would have still told him he was fine as long as they were not alone. "I wonder what's next?"

"I wonder where the scoundrel is," Jack replied. "I want to know why he did it to us in the first place. As far as I am aware, I have never crossed paths with him nor have I done anything to anger him."

As Will listened to Jack, he put out the torch he held but remained at the ready, the Governor's sword still held tightly in his grip.

* * *

Lex put out the torch. "We'd best see if Jack's got any clue as to what's going on." He looked worriedly back at the door where his family slept. I won't be gone long, he promised silently. He began walking toward Jack.

Faith had nodded when Lex had called to her and swiftly caught up with him. "Just remember, Luthor," she whispered to him, her voice and eyes hard and angry again as they neared the others, "if you tell any one -- "

"I know; I know," Lex put in. "You'll cut my throat. Just _you_ remember not to tell any one yourself." He pretended to be hard on the outside again, too. It wouldn't do for them to think that a Luthor ever got soft.

She gave him a quick, curt nod. "You know I don't talk to anybody." Except you. Glancing down at Salem, she realized that she had to add, And him.

* * *

All around both ships, the sleepers were beginning to wake up as the gentle ocean breeze brushed over them, assailing their nostrils with the sweet aroma of the sea. Cole stirred slightly. Realizing he had a soft, cushiony pillow for his head, he didn't move at first. Some one's arms were around him, and it felt good. He recognized Piper's scent. He heard some one move and turned to watch as Prue took the food out of the oven. He hoped it didn't smell like where they had just come from.

He moved his head slightly so that he could watch Piper. She had fallen asleep. He thought she had never looked more beautiful and moved his head just enough that he could kiss her at the base of her throat. "Wake up, beautiful," he whispered. "I think our nightmare is over."

Piper stirred to slowly and was surprised to hear Cole calling to her. Her worried eyes flew open at the realization that he was conscious again. "C-Cole? Are you okay?"

"No," he breathed in response. "I'm even better than okay; I'm in Heaven! What a wonderful place to wake up!" He gazed adoringly at her beauty; a brilliant smile sparkled on his face. "Thanks for holding me." He couldn't remember a time when he had ever been held like that; waking up that way had been very peaceful.

She could not help the blush that tinged her cheeks any more than she could stop her hand from lifting to gently cup his handsome face. "I was worried," she admitted, gazing up at him in deep concern. "You just showed up and fell out. I didn't know what had happened, and I was so scared that something had . . . hurt you . . . "

"I don't know what happened. I just know that I woke up in Heaven." He caressed her cheek, his hand moving slowly down her throat. He wished that he could replace his hand with his lips but didn't dare.

Shivers of delight shot through her at his touch. They grew as his hand moved slowly down her throat, shooting from his fingertips all the way throughout her body. She had never felt such and reveled in the emotions he evoked. "I'm just thankful you're okay," she whispered, her own hand caressing his cheek.

He looked intently down into her eyes. "May a frog have permission to kiss a Princess?" he asked.

She looked at him in confusion as it took her a moment to realize what he was meaning. "Cole, you're not a -- " The realization of the Princess' identity froze her words in her throat. A slow, gentle smile spread over her face as she found herself whispering, "Yes."

His lips sought hers gently at first, and he held her even closer to him. He forgot about the world around them as the only thing that meant anything to him was the kiss. He did not give her everything he had, because he did not want to frighten her. He pledged himself to her with that kiss, as gentle as a butterfly's wings with a promise of heat to come.

She returned his kiss in full even as his touch and the passion that engulfed them both melted her very bones. Her hand slid up his face, caressing his tanned skin, and her fingers gently curled into his dark hair. Her lips parted under his, requesting and welcoming more.

Part of him wanted to take her and shimmer to a secluded spot so that they could have more time together. The other part of him felt eyes looking at them; they made him come back to his senses. He lifted his head only to see that their audience was Prue, who was standing and staring at them with a huge grin on her face. His attention returned to Piper. "Later, sweetheart; I promise to return. I'm going to court you, Piper Halliwell, before we burn the ship down." He shimmered out with an even bigger smile on his face.

Piper's breath released in a fluttering sigh full of love, lust, and longing. She wished he had not left but understood why he had to. She had not seen Prue and had completely forgotten about the others but knew that, if he had stayed, they would have became involved in a very scandalous activity indeed.

Prue walked over, leaned down, and gave her hand to her sister. "How was it, sweetheart?" she asked.

Piper looked up at her older sister in a daze. She lifted a hand to take Prue's but missed it at first. She tried again, and Prue's hand caught her own. "Oh. My. _Gods!_" Piper breathed. "I've never felt anything . . . never . . . never even _dreamed_ anything could be that . . . that _wonderful_ . . . !"

Prue smiled at her sister as she pulled her to her feet. "I felt the same way when I touched Brendan and again when I kissed him. Aren't we the lucky ones?" Although Prue had had experience in the past, nothing had ever prepared her for what she had felt when Brendan had touched her. They simply had to be off the ship when they went through with the action or there would be nothing left of it but cinders!

Piper was still so dazed that she could only sigh in response. It was then that the memory of the food hit her. "Oh no!"

"What's wrong?" Prue asked.

"The food!" Piper exclaimed, turning from her sister and starting to rush to the oven. She stopped in her tracks, however, as she saw that it was already sitting out on the nearby counters. "Thanks," she told Prue with a relieved grin as she looked back at her sister.

"Couldn't let all that scrumptious stuff go to waste even if I couldn't smell it while it was cooking," Prue said. "It smelled wonderful when I took it out; I just hope it doesn't have a stinky taste to it! I have never smelled anything so awful!"

"It shouldn't," Piper started. "I wouldn't think the smell would effect the taste, but then again, with that stuff, who knows? I wonder what that thing was any way."

"I don't know, but I think the Captains took care of it."

"Thank Gods!"

* * *

Meanwhile, bubbles began to appear out of nowhere. They drifted around the Pearl, hovering above every conceivable exposed surface. It was then that Wolverine woke up and looked around. "Where the heck did all these fairy bubbles come from?" he asked. He reached out to help Donkey get to his hooves.

Donkey stood with his head held low, not daring to move as his wide eyes stared at the bubbles. "Huh?" he asked.

Before any one could move, react, or even answer Wolverine, a screech was heard, and a magnificent white owl swooped in to land on the quarter deck. A glimmering light surrounded him, and as blackness whirled around the owl, Hoggle and Carl, who had just awoken, screamed. Carl took a flying leap behind Jack and Will even as his cousin dodged behind Ororo.

Where the black swirl ceased, a man with spiky, blonde hair dressed in tight, black leather appeared. He seemed to glitter as he peered down at them. He had barely began to gaze imperiously at the crew before him when he felt some one trying to break past his defenses. His stern eyes moved to a blonde woman. "You shall not try your little ice tricks on me," he informed her even as he flicked his hand toward Crystal. She vanished instantly.

Jack stepped forward. "Who are you, and what do you want with us?" He felt some one move beside him and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Faith. She had slipped her dagger from her boot. His eyes quickly returned to the man, and he let no sign of what he had seen appear on his face.

Faith had moved Salem to one arm again, and she swiftly threw her dagger with perfect aim straight for the blonde man's heart. He flicked his wrist toward the dagger, and it flew backwards. Faith tried to move but felt as though she had been paralyzed as the dagger closed in on her throat. She expected her blade to meet her own neck, but at the last moment, the dagger transformed into a snake. She finally found herself able to move again as it wrapped around her throat. She dropped Salem to the deck and tried to tear the snake from her, but its strength was greater than her own. Its coils tightened around her throat, cutting off her air. The only sign of her fear was her wild eyes as she continued trying to free herself.

Seeing that Faith was having no luck with the snake, Lex leapt forward and began to tear at the thing that was choking Faith. Finally managing to get it a loose, he threw it away from them only to have it become all fluff and feathers and let go with a string of unintelligible words. A goblin scurried away and back toward Jareth.

Faith had nearly passed out and started to sway, but Lex caught her quickly. She shook her head, forcing herself back, but dizziness still clouded her thoughts. Lex's coat hid his hand tightening on her arm. He knew she did not want to rely on him but also knew that she would hit the deck if he released her. Faith gave him a brief second as she was still struggling to catch her breath but then ripped away from him.

It was at that moment that the bubbles descended to the ship, each one releasing a goblin. Every crew member stood frozen to the deck, staring at Jareth. What would be the next move? Who would live, and who would die?

Jareth's lips curled upwards into a slow, sly smile, but there was no warmth in his expression. His hard gaze returned to Jack. "My name is Jareth, and I am their King. You will stand and listen without any further attack or I will release them."

"What do you want?" Jack repeated. He did not take his eyes off of the man.

"I already have what I want."

Jack's mind immediately went to: He had the ships! What he wanted them for he hadn't a clue. He also didn't have a clue as to how to fight him. "And what is that?" Jack asked aloud.

Like the others around her, Ororo, too, stood rooted to the spot. Unlike them, however, she knew that she was not defenseless. She watched Jareth with calm eyes that showed no hint of her thoughts even as her mind reached out to the elements. A lightning bolt shot at Jareth, but he waved it away as though it was nothing but a pesky fly. He then waved his hand at her, and she felt herself picked up and thrown back into Wolverine.

Hoggle had been hiding behind her. The very moment that his cover was lifted, he screamed in fear and ran around until he was able to join his cousin behind Jack and Will.

Jareth looked at Jack. "Call your people down," he instructed him. "I will not give you another warning."

Jack called back to his crew. "Do not fight! We must see what he wants! We do not want to fight goblins!" He hated to tell them not to fight for his every instinct cried out for attack. However, he would not do something stupid to get the others killed.

Jareth's intent gaze swept the ship as he made certain that every one of them was going to obey their Captain. He watched a short man with wild hair helping the Weather Witch to get to her feet and saw the raven-haired girl who had attempted to throw her dagger into his heart stoop beside a black cat who was stirring slowly to consciousness. The others stood as still as statues, and Jareth's eyes finally returned to Jack.

"There seems to have been a bit of a misunderstanding," he began. His voice trailed off momentarily as he was suddenly joined by two women flanking him on either side. They wore the same dress and appeared exactly alike. Both had pale skin; long, ebony hair; and black eyes that peered down at the crew. One clung to Jareth with an arm linked over his shoulders and a leg hiked against him. The other worriedly scanned the group.

Jack almost passed out right on the spot! Not only had Helvira taken over the ship with no fight, but she had cloned herself! His mind flashed back to a few minutes before they had been returned to their own world; it had been then that he had gone to the storage cabinet behind the steering wheel, retrieved his jacket that still contained Helvira's heart, and thrown both overboard into the Bog of Eternal Stench. He was thankful that he had done that for at least she would not regain her heart easily.

* * *

Wolf's eyes flashed open, and it was only then that he found out that he had fallen on Brendan, knocking him out. He helped his friend to his feet. "Wolf!" He heard Elvira call his name and turned to look in the direction that her voice came from even as relief that she lived flooded him. He gazed in puzzlement at all the crew members standing frozen in spot, but one look at Jack's face told him that, whereas the others were only scared, Jack was petrified.

It then dawned on him why: Jack thought Elvira was Helvira. It was his own fault. He should have introduced Jack to his woman and told him that she had a sister. It had not dawned on him at the time that her sister might be and had turned out to be Helvira. He ran toward Elvira without a second thought.

"Stop, Wolf!" Jack called out urgently. "He will think you are attacking and unleash his minions!"

Wolf stared at the goblins in puzzlement. What kind of trick was this? He knew that it was Elvira. Why would she bring goblins to attack his people? Then his eyes were drawn to the man on the quarterdeck and the woman draped all over him. Oh my Gods! he thought. It's Helvira! Why hadn't Elvira told him that her sister was identical and that, worst of all, she was Helvira? He stopped beside Jack. "It's a good day to die," he whispered.

"Don't want to," Jack answered, "but if I have to, I will. Protect Will."

Brendan had nearly had to drag himself to Jack's side. He could not tear his eyes away from the two Helviras, and fear clouded his thoughts and nearly choked him. He heard Jack but could not even find his voice to reassure his dearest friend. Instead, he only continued to stare at the women and man and let out a frightened yelp when one of the women jumped down at them.

Jareth's hand was still pointed at Wolf when Elvira leapt off of the quarterdeck. "Jareth, if you hurt him, I'll kill you!" She raced to Wolf's side and threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

Wolf had not realized that he was still naked, but despite the danger, he felt his sword come to life and poke at her through her dress. This was definitely his Elvira, but her sister was Helvira! They were all going to die! "H-How could you not tell me?" he asked her. "She's Jack's deadliest enemy! He fought her today! He took her heart!" His voice was breaking. "She's going to kill us now!"

Jack stared at Wolf in astonishment. How could he be playing with Helvira? Had he betrayed his Captain? Wolf would never do that, Jack decided. She had cast a spell on him. His hand eased to his sword, ready for the fight, but he snatched his hand back with an oath when what he thought was his sword bit him. He looked downward and shook the thing off of his hand. Damn goblins! Where was his sword! He had to protect Will!

"Looking for this?" Jareth's calm voice asked him as he twirled Jack's sword in the air.

Jack knew the fight was over before it had ever began. There was no way to fight the goblins, let alone their King! "What do you want?" he asked him again.

"I told you," Jareth reminded him, "I already have what I want."

It was then that the other Helvira leaned closer to him and whispered something in his ear. He looked at her. "Not now, Delvira. I'm trying to . . . " At her stern look, he sighed, shrugged, and handed her the sword. Taking off his cape, he tossed it down at Wolf. "Cover yourself."

Wolf snatched the cape out of the air and wrapped it around him, tying it in the front. What does it matter, he thought, if I'm covered when I'm going to die? We can't even fight the things when they change our very swords to themselves! His mind searched for a way that he could protect not just Will but the Captain, as well.

Xena had been staring the whole time at Jareth. Her eyes were angry, but she did not make a move for she knew their people would die if she did. How had this happened? How had they snuck up on them and defeated them without a single blow? She glanced at Elvira and knew that they had just rescued her that day. She was draped all over Wolf now and seemed oblivious to the danger. How could it be possible? Was the girl daft? She had led the enemy into their midst and caused this! If Xena lived through the battle, she would take Elvira on one to one. If the girl was innocent, she'd live; if she wasn't, she was so dead!

"Now," Jareth's voice carried over them, "if you will all calm yourselves, I might have a chance to explain our misunderstanding." He stared at each of them and, finding them all silent and still, was about to speak again when a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Jareth, you sly son-of-a-bitch! You caused all of this?" Faith gasped and tried to cover Salem's mouth but was not in time.

Jareth looked at the two, and his smile shifted slightly. "Well, I never would have thought you'd deign such a meager vessel with your presence, Salem!"

Jack looked from Salem to Jareth. Did they know each other? Just what was going on here? He didn't say anything but continued looking for an opportunity.

"What are you doing picking on them, any way?" Salem questioned him. "Were you after me?" He prayed that that was not the case.

"After you?" Jareth repeated puzzledly. "Why on Earth would you think that, old friend?"

"Old _friend_!" Salem spat, biting at Faith's fingers when she again attempted to cover his mouth. "You tried to _kill_ me the last time we were together!"

"I did no such thing," Jareth thundered, "and I only sent your little group to the Bog because we mistakenly thought Elvira was on here without her consent!"

"You always were full of it!"

"Watch that tongue of yours, Salem," Jareth warned. "I do not want to have to return you to the Bog, but I will if I must!"

Salem hushed instantly, and Faith breathed a silent sigh of relief. She had thought that he had finally came to his senses but had to bite her own tongue to keep from screaming in frustration when he spoke again. "Did you or did you not try to kill me immediately following the trial?"

"What are you talking about?" Jareth questioned him. "I was thrown into the labyrinth as soon as I was sentenced! This is the first time I've seen you since my own trial!" Salem's questioning eyes met Jareth's. "I swear on our code."

Before Faith could even react, Salem raced from her arms where she had finally managed to still him and took a flying leap onto the quarterdeck. He sat beside Jareth and lifted a paw up to him. Jareth raised a hand, and Salem lifted into the air. Only when they were eye to eye did Jareth accept Salem's paw and give it a tiny shake.

Faith could stay silent no more. "Just what the fuck is going on here!"

"As I told Salem," Jareth explained to the others, cuddling Salem in one arm, "this entire situation has been a misunderstanding. We tried to reach Port Royal in time but did not succeed in doing so. When we realized that Elvira was on your ship, we thought it was against her will." Delvira elbowed him, and he turned to look at her even as he muttered, "There is no way . . ."

"Jareth," she whispered to him, "_sweetheart_, a good King knows when to swallow his pride and apologize."

His furious glare cut through her. "I am not about to -- "

"Fine, then," she shot back with a knowing grin tugging at her black lips, "you just won't get your pants popped again any time soon -- _or_ what comes afterward."

A low growl ushered forth from him at her, but he silenced himself, sighed deeply, and turned his attention back to the crew. "I must . . . ap-apo-apo-apolo-"

"Apologize," Delvira put in for him.

He nodded. "That and thank you for saving my sister-in-law."

Jack's hands itched for his sword. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he needed the comforting feeling of it. He could feel Will at his side but yet he had not said anything. Did he have his sword? Jack wanted it. He needed a weapon. Any kind would do!

He was surprised when his own weapon came floating back to hover in the air just before him. This could not be happening! It was just another strange event in an even stranger day! he told himself even as his hands sneaked out and grabbed the weapon. "We accept your apology, Your Majesty, but I want to know why you have brought Helvira aboard my ship."

"_Helvira!_" Jareth, Delvira, and Elvira all cried in unison. "_Where!_" Their eyes roamed their surroundings frantically for any sign of the bitch.

"Is your woman not Helvira?"

Jareth looked questioningly at Delvira. "You didn't change on me, did you?" he whispered to her.

"If I had, would we be standing here?" she shot back.

Jack sheathed his sword. "How can there be three of them?" he asked Jareth. "Your woman's not her. Wolf's woman's not her. Where is she!" His eyes glanced around. If there were two, there could be three!

"Gods, I pray she isn't anywhere near here!" Jareth exclaimed truthfully before he could stop himself.

Delvira patted his arm reassuringly. "My name is Delvira," she began to explain to Jack and the others, "and I am Jareth's wife. My sister," she nodded to Elvira who was still snuggled securely in Wolf's arms, "is Elvira. We hate Helvira as much as you appear to."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the Gods she's not here! I thought she had found us!"

Jareth had noticed Jack sheathe his sword and breathed a silent sigh of relief at the realization that he would not have to do any further harm to his sister-in-law's new friends. He waved his hands in the air, and his goblins scurried away, vanishing from sight and returning to their own ship that now appeared in front of the Pearl. With Delvira in one arm and Salem in the other, he hopped down to stand before Jack. "There are three of them," he told them, "and each appears and smells exactly identical to the others. They can even act so closely together that no one can tell them apart."

Jack looked at him. "I did not know your sister-in-law was identical to Helvira. I fought with Helvira earlier today, and I took her heart. _If_," he looked angrily at Wolf, "some one had bothered to tell me, some of this could have been avoided!"

Wolf looked everywhere but at Jack. "Sorry, Captain," he finally muttered. "I didn't think."

Elvira jumped to his defense. "I didn't tell him. How was he supposed to know!"

Jack's gaze turned to Elvira. "It would have been nice if you had told us. Your sister and I are great enemies. She would like nothing better than to kill the members of my crew, make me watch, and then destroy me." He had not said "kill me", because he figured she'd keep him alive and torture him.

Elvira's mouth flew open, but before she could say anything, Delvira, who was eyeing Brendan questioningly, interrupted her. "You look familiar," she told him.

"I was . . . I was held captive by Helvira for a -- "

"You were the boy, weren't you?" Delvira's eyes moistened. "I saw you when I fought her once, but I never had the chance to get near you. I would have saved you had I been able to, but I barely escaped with my life. In fact, I wouldn't have even managed that had she not let me."

"Let you?" Jack repeated in surprise.

Delvira nodded. "Helvira has been a constant threat to us for nearly our entire lives. She enjoys playing with us and lets us live so that she can do so again later."

"That's why I didn't say anything," Elvira put in. "She has this nasty habit of popping into our lives just when they start getting better and screwing everything up." Her sad eyes would not meet any one's gaze, not even Wolf's concerned expression. "Besides," she argued, "how the Hell was I supposed to know that you guys even knew the bitch?"

"I have fought her twice," Jack said. "Both times I thought I killed her. I took her heart this time. I hope she died, but I doubt it. I fear that she will come after it."

"She will," Jareth put in warningly.

"She won't find it aboard either ship. I left it in the Bog."

"A good place for it," Jareth agreed thoughtfully, "but she will retrieve it sooner or later. At least, though, we should be able to smell her coming from then on."

Jack looked questioningly at him. "What can we do about getting that stench off of our ships? Will it wash off?"

"Well, normally, it stays on its victims for the rest of eternity." Delvira elbowed him. "But, in this case, I can make an exception. Tell your crews to grab hold to something," he warned Jack.

Jack called out, "Every one, grab on to something! It's going to be a bumpy ride!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he felt four small hands grab him. He looked down to see the Gnome and Dwarf holding on tightly to him. He grabbed the railing just as the ships were lifted.

Jareth raised his hands, and the ships lifted into the sky. "Hold tightly!" Delvira called to them in warning. "You've never gotten a bumpy ride quite like this one!" She clung to her husband, and even he reached out a gloved hand to grip the railing. He was already muttering strange words underneath his breath, and it was at that time that the ships began to glow with a sparkling light and spin as fast as lightning.

* * *

Lorne had barely been waking when Crys had fallen out of thin air on top of him. "You okay, sweetheart?" he asked. "Where did you come from?"

"That bastard!" she fumed. "He won't get away with this!"

"Huh?" Angel asked. "Who?"

"Jareth! He's the one who knocked you and my babies and Lorne . . . " Her babbling stopped suddenly as she found herself gazing down into Lorne's eyes.

"Let me up, darling. Let's go check on the others and see just how bad this Jareth has harmed us." He had been about to get to his feet when he felt the ship come out from under him and laid quickly back down.

Angel felt like he was pinned to the floor as he felt the ship begin to spin madly around. "What the Hell!" he asked. He watched, unable to reach to Prue to help her, as she fell to the floor, her feet knocked out from under her.

Growls echoed in the room as Cindy and Elvira found themselves being slid from one part of the galley to another. Of the three animals only Blue managed to still himself by digging his talons into the door. Piper was barely managing to grip the table hard enough to keep from falling when something knocked her feet out from under her. She fell with a surprised squeal and found herself suddenly on top of the lioness. She stared at her but did not dare to move.

Prue lay on the floor where she had been thrown, trying to catch her breath. What the Hell was going on! she wondered. It felt for all the world like they were in a tornado!

Piper's eyes tore away from Cindy's as she heard the dishes rattling. "No!" she cried out as she saw the meal they had worked so hard on begin to slide off the counter.

Piper's cry tore Crystal's eyes away from Lorne's. She shot her hands out, and a wall of ice encased the food. The dishes hit the ice but did not break it. Piper breathed a sigh of relief.

When the ship finally quieted and settled back down, Angel got shakily to his feet. He turned around to Lorne and offered his hand to Crys.

Crystal had not wanted to be thrown back to the galley, but Lorne's body felt so nice against her own that she did not want to get up. His mere touch burned her more badly than anything she'd ever encountered before, and as she looked back down at him, she realized that her lips craved his again. At that realization, she nearly snatched a hold to Angel's hand in desperation and jumped to her feet.

Lorne got groggily up and helped Prue to stand, then turned to Piper and helped her. They glanced worriedly over at the Lewises. Their chair had fallen over, pinning them. Startled eyes had flashed open, but both sisters had laid still on the floor. Angel walked over and helped them to their feet.

"Wow," Katrina breathed. "Don't know what caused that, but it sure was a rush!"

"Jareth," Crystal remembered aloud, "and he's going to get his!" Her ice blue eyes flashed furiously as she began to march angrily toward the door.

"Who's Jareth?" Katrina asked.

"He's the King of the Goblins," Crys answered, "but he's also who knocked you all out. I'm going to ice him if he doesn't find a way to toss me back in here again!" she ground out.

"Then you'll need our help," Katrina said. "We'll go with you."

"We'll all go," Angel put in. "We need to see what's going on."

"But the food -- " Piper started to protest, worried that the animals would get into it.

"It'll be fine. I'll melt the ice when we return." Without another word, Crys started off again. Blue flew beside her, cooing worriedly. "I know," she growled at him, "but I'm going to this time! The nerve of him! How _dare_ he hurt you and the others!" Cindy and Elvira padded alongside her, both trying to talk sense into her.

Hearing Cindy, Celina spoke up. "Perhaps we should first find out exactly what _is_ happening before you kill him, Crystal."

"Crys, calm down," Angel told her. "You're not going to kill anybody yet. There doesn't seem to be anything going on. Every one's just standing around in groups and listening. The fight's over, and I heard the man you call Jareth talking to Jack in friendly tones."

"Angel, I don't care what he's doing now!" She raised her hands, and ice shot out again, this time forming a bridge between the two ships. "It's bad enough that I'm endangering you all! I'm not going to stand by and let some jerk hurt you, my babies, Lorne, or any of the others!"

"Crys," Lorne called to her, "we weren't actually hurt. Just put to sleep for a while. I don't think Jareth did it himself. It was the smell."

It was only then that Crystal paused. She glanced questioningly at the others, and agreeing nods met her gaze. She breathed an audible sigh of relief. Blue cooed from her shoulder, informing her that she had yet to kill any one herself and he wasn't about to let her begin.

"He didn't hurt you either when he threw you back into the galley, did he? Just your ego?" Angel asked quietly.

Crys whirled on him. "My ego!"

"Yes, your feelings. I didn't see a scratch on you."

"He didn't hurt me," she admitted, "but he didn't hurt my feelings either! He just pi -- made me angry!"

"Okay. So let's give him a chance and, if he gets out of line, I'll let you clobber him but not kill him. In fact, I'll help you. Agreed?"

She nodded.

* * *

Clark had not been asleep when Lex had looked in on him but had pretended to be so that he could have a little time with Faith. He felt left out because Faith would not talk to him. He still hadn't a clue why she would talk to Lex, but he knew they had been good for each other. In fact, she had been the one who had helped Lex and he to get together. He had blocked out their conversation, because he did not want to eavesdrop. He always allowed them that bit of privacy even though he could hear very easily.

He had had no warning when they were attacked, but he did not rush out to confront the attacker. Instead, he stayed back to take care of the children. He knew very well what the others thought of his attack ability. He wasn't proud of it. He knew he should have been more blood-thirsty since he was a Pirate, but he just couldn't bring himself to kill.

He had been surprised when he was thrown from the bed but had crawled under it to hold on to the two children who had woken up, frightened and crying. It proved to be a good thing he had as he was able to hold them still when the ship unexpectedly began to spin around. He was suddenly covered when Sarah erupted. She looked even more frightened, as though she expected him to slap her for throwing up. "It's all right, baby," he consoled her. "I'm sorry you're sick." He stroked her hair gently back out of her face.

"We've got to get you cleaned up." His mind went away from the attack and concentrated on what he could do to clean her. "First thing," he said, talking to her reassuringly, "is that we have to take off your clothes. We'll have to use one of Lex's shirts; mine are all dirty." He looked in the trunk that had turned upside down at the foot of their bed and finally found a shirt. It would drag the ground, because Sarah was so small.

He wiped gently at her mouth with a towel he found and did his best to clean her up. "We really need some water, but this will have to do for now. You take your dress off and then put this on." He closed his eyes even as he pulled his own shirt off, using the inside part of the shirt to wipe off the vomit. He reached and got another shirt. Although it was dirty, it was cleaner than the one he had just pulled off. They all needed baths, but it would have to wait until later, after he had found Lex and was sure that he was all right.

Sarah had been expecting him to strip her. She glanced at him in puzzlement but took the dress off. With shaking hands, she tried to put the shirt on. Julian had closed his eyes, too, but he sensed something was wrong. "What's wrong, Sarah?" He felt his sister's small hand touch his arm. He opened his eyes. "She can't figure out where to stick her head," he told Clark matter-of-factly.

Clark could not help but grin. He imagined Lex's shirt was so big that she had never seen anything like it. He reached out, took it from her, and, still not opening his eyes, felt for the holes. Finding the big one, he slipped it over her head. "Put your arms in the two smaller holes."

Sarah still had not said a single word, and that puzzled Clark. True, Julian didn't talk much, but Sarah had not made a single sound since they had found her. He opened his eyes and saw that she was standing before him, looking at him with big, blue eyes that melted his heart even more.

"Let's brush your hair, Sarah," he said, reaching back into the trunk and bringing out his hairbrush. He gently brushed her hair, doing his best to ease the many tangles out. "We need something to tie it up with," he announced when he was, at last, finished. He looked around but could not see any ribbons. "Guess my bandana will have to do," he said. He slipped it out of his pocket and used it to tie her hair back.

"You two stay close to me now," he warned while getting to his feet. "We're going to look for Lex. If I tell you to hide, hide and don't come out until I tell you to." Holding to one of both of their hands, he guided the children out. He used his foot to close the door behind them. He had to know what was going on, but he would never willingly leave the children alone. He only hoped he could keep them safe and that Lex was all right, wherever his beloved had gotten to.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	33. Chapter Thirtytwo

**Chapter Thirty-two**

Crystal was the first to reach the railing. She jumped onto it without hesitation. Ice shot from her hands, forming a bridge across the ships that she began to walk over even as it was being made. Cindy and Elvira joined her, and Blue swooped in toward her shoulder. When she did not attempt to shoo him away, the relieved dragon settled in on her shoulder.

Angel followed hot on Crystal's heels. He did not trust the ice, but he knew it would be the quickest way over. Behind him came Lorne, then the Lewises, and finally Prue dragging Piper along. Piper seemed to be wary of the bridge, but Prue had no such reservations. She knew she didn't weigh anywhere near what Angel weighed, and if it would hold him, she knew it would hold her.

Angel found Jack's face and saw that he was no longer nervous. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the battle had been adverted but wondering why. Although they could see what had been going on, the only times that he had had a clear understanding of what was happening was when the others had yelled out their words. He had missed a lot of the encounter by being in the galley and was eager to find out what was going on.

Lorne did not like the ideal that Angel was between him and Crys but knew better than to encroach on the territory. He'd just move as close as he could to her after they got on the other side.

The group was nearly across to the Pearl when two voices called to them from the Witch. "Hey, wait for us!"

Crys glanced over her shoulder and could barely make out the forms of the orange catman she'd met earlier and a brunette stranger hopping onto the bridge. "Looks like your husbands are coming for the ride," she called to the catwomen before turning her attention back to the bridge. Reaching the Pearl, she jumped down and immediately turned angry eyes to look for Jareth. It did not take her long to find him.

Jack was still talking to Jareth about the ship. He was very relieved that the stench was gone and thanked Jareth for removing it. "I still don't understand why you thought Elvira was being held against her will?" he asked.

"You are Pirates, are you not?" Jareth coldly returned with a single, cocked eyebrow.

"Lighten up, Hot Pants," Delvira whispered to him mischievously, "or I might just have to go ahead and pop those pants." She ignored the surprised look he shot her and turned her attention to Jack. "We knew about the troubles with Port Royal but didn't know things were going to come to a head so soon. We found it destroyed when we got there and thought, at first, that Elvira was dead. If I hadn't managed to think to check the crystal ball, we would have never known she had lived, let alone was on your ship."

"Unbeknownst to me, your sister was amongst a group of Witches that were attacked this morning by the sanctified citizens of Port Royal. They had one objective on their minds, and that was to burn the Witches. The Witches attempted to sacrifice themselves. We lost some of them, but some were saved. We couldn't leave them there, and so they were brought to our ships."

"I didn't get to meet any of them, because I was away," Jack continued to explain. "When I returned, we were still under attack. We fought our way clear of that. It destroyed Port Royal and almost got us too. At that point, I still had not met your sister, and her rescuer did not take the time to introduce us." He glanced angrily over at Wolf. "He was too busy _entertaining_ her. I'm not going to go into detail there; you can take that up with him."

"No need," Delvira started. It was Jareth's turn to interrupt her, however.

"If Elvira's sex drive is anything like Delvira's, I can assure you that he most likely did not have a chance." He glanced questioningly over at Wolf. "I only hope, for his sake, that he has more than one pair of pants."

"Pants?" Jack questioned. "I keep hearing references to your pants. I don't exactly want to know what happens to them, but most of us don't have extra clothes." He looked at Wolf again. "I suggest you better get some while we're in Tortuga."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir, for not telling you." Wolf hoped Jack would not stay mad too long.

* * *

Xena had watched as the other group had passed over the ice bridge and hoped it would stay strong long enough for Gabrielle and her to pass over. She wanted to make a dignified entrance, so she didn't reach for one of the ropes. Besides, that was one of the secret ways Jack had of getting from ship to ship quickly that every crew member knew but did not want revealed to their enemies. She didn't know if this man was enemy or friend yet, but what she had seen so far made her definitely dislike him.

Jack looked up as Xena and Gabrielle came across the bridge. "Your Majesties, I'd like you to meet Captain Xena and her First Mate, Gabrielle. Xena, Gabrielle, this is the King and Queen of the Goblins, King Jareth and Queen Delvira."

Xena immediately stared into Jareth's eyes. She'd always believed that one could read a person by looking into their eyes, and against her will, she liked what she saw in Jareth's. The man could either be a great ally or a major pain in the butt. She hoped he would be an ally. "Pleased to meet you, Your Majesties," she said. "That stench was awful. Thank you for removing it from our ships."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Captain," Jareth responded with a polite tilt of his head to acknowledge the two women. Glancing at Jack, he added approvingly, "I always have found that it is best to be backed up by strong women."

"At least you did after you met me," Delvira teasingly corrected her husband. Looking back to Xena, she continued, "We really do have to apologize for that. It was all a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstandings happen sometimes," Xena accepted with a nod of her head. "I hope that, in the future, we will check it out before having hot tempers. We should trust each other."

Delvira had never been one to investigate a situation before jumping full-force into it. Even as her mouth flew open, however, Jareth calmed her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. He spoke before she could, his eyes returning to Xena's, "Trust is a rare commodity and one that can only be earned, not given freely."

"True," Xena agreed. "We're Pirates. You're Goblins."

Delvira's black eyes flashed, but Jareth gently increased his hand's weight on her shoulder, successfully stilling her tongue just in time. "We are not Goblins," he corrected Xena. "We are . . . well, not really human but neither are we Goblins. We simply rule them."

Xena corrected herself. "You're the keepers of the Goblins. Our people have not trusted each other in the past. In the future, I hope to correct that. We could make strong allies."

Jack had hoped for that but had not been about to say it for he still did not feel easy around Jareth. He found he liked Delvira very much and could easily see why Wolf had been caught up with Elvira. Both women were not only strong but carried themselves well. They reminded him of Xena.

"That sounds like a very good ideal," Jack said, his voice trying to rise an octave on him. "I don't know what's wrong with my voice today. I believe I need something to drink, but we are all out of rum."

Jareth raised a gloved hand into the air and snapped urgently. "Hogwart," he called.

"Hoggle," the Dwarf mumbled.

Jareth ignored him. "Fetch a case of rum and be quick about it, Hogit."

* * *

Cole had shimmered into the shadows on the Pearl. He heard the order given for rum and wondered if he could get on the ship and get rid of it before Hoggle got there. He attempted to shimmer aboard Jareth's ship but ran into a force field that knocked him into the water.

He hoped no one had noticed a glimmer of light hitting the water or heard the splash. Damn! he thought. How am I going to get that rum out of here! I'll have to watch when it comes aboard the ships and sneak it out from under their noses.

* * *

Jack smiled. Was it going to be this easy to get some rum at long last? He couldn't believe it! He felt like it had been the longest day of his life, and he'd just about give his right arm to get one swig of rum! "Thank you, Your Majesty. I can pay you for it if you wish. How much would you like for it?"

Jareth was about to answer Jack when Hoggle returned, pushing a crate that was nearly as big as he was in front of him. Jareth blatantly ignored the Dwarf's sweating and grunting as he stooped and pried free a bottle. Standing again, he turned his attention back to Jack as he opened the bottle. "Not everything can be bought by money, Captain Sparrow," he informed him. "What I require instead is a tour of your ship so that I may ascertain that your accommodations for my sister-in-law meet my specifications."

"I'll be glad to give you one," Jack replied, his mouth watering for a taste of the rum. He wondered if Jareth was going to stand there and drink it or give it to him.

With his lips curled upwards into one of his trademark smiles, Jareth passed the bottle to Jack. "Hogwart," he called down to the Dwarf, "pass the bottles out amongst any who want them. Any," he added sternly, looking down at Hoggle with a quirked brow even as Delvira retrieved two bottles, "from Captain Sparrow's and Xena's ships." His attention returned to Jack as the Dwarf raced about following his order.

"Thank you very much, Jareth. May I call you Jareth?"

The King inclined his head into a nod. "For now, at least," he began. "I must warn you, however, that should I not like what I find . . . " He had been raising one of the bottles to his own lips and stopped suddenly, staring at something that was glittering on his glove.

Jack saw the glitter even as he was about to lift a bottle to his lips. "What's that?" He wondered what the heck had been left on the boat this time and hoped it wasn't from the Bog.

Gabrielle leaned close enough into Xena that she could whisper to her lover without being overheard by normal ears. "Is it just me or does that look like pink . . . "

Before Gabrielle could even finish her thought, Delvira, who was peering closely at her husband's black glove, exclaimed, "I swear that looks like tiny, pink hearts!"

"It looks like it is," Xena whispered back to Gabrielle. "It's been so long! I had thought She might have forgotten about us."

Jack peered anxiously at the dust. "So it seems to be, Jareth, and you can call me Jack." He continued raising the bottle to his lips and took a swig. What was wrong with it? It didn't taste like his regular rum. It must be imported. He pointed the bottle towards Will, offering it to him.

Will was about to accept the bottle when the memory of Wolverine's announcement that Jack had a problem with rum stilled his hand. "Actually, I think I'll pass," he told Jack, his eyes gazing questioningly into his beloved's. "That stuff really isn't good for you."

"It might not be good for you, but it does good things for you," Jack said even as he took another swig. He wasn't about to give his bottle up to anybody else. If Will didn't want it, it was his loss! The rum seemed to taste better with the second sip. "Well, Jareth, I don't know what we have aboard. I've heard rumors of a Fairy."

Jareth shook his head. "I know Faeries," his gaze lifted to meet Jack's, "and believe me, what left this is no Fairy. You either have or had a Goddess aboard."

Jack had just taken another sip and almost choked on it. "A Goddess! Why my ship?"

Jareth paused, considering the question, but Delvira answered Jack instead. "Besides Wolf and my sister, have you had any other sudden couplings?"

Jack didn't rush into an explanation except to say, "Yes, ma'am, we have. Some strange ones at that." He added the last at the memory of Phoebe and Joxer's earlier antics.

"Well, it would appear . . . " Delvira started.

"That the Lady Aphrodite must have thought that you needed a little aid in the romance department," Jareth finished for his wife.

Angel, overhearing the conversation, informed them that he had just sent Blue to fetch Captain Xena as there had been an incident in the galley immediately before they had been sent into the Bog.

Xena looked at him. "What kind of incident?"

"Well . . . We had a couple attempting." He let his voice trail off. "These two would not normally have attempted it. One or both may have even been virgins," he whispered the last part.

Lorne overheard Angel's statement about the virgin and blushed red. "That's right, Angel!" he whispered to him so that only he should have been able to hear him. "Tell the whole damn ship!"

Elvira whimpered at that, and Crystal's gaze finally moved from Jareth. She looked first at the wolf, and then her surprised gaze narrowed in on her unsuspecting brother. "_Angel!_"

"I didn't!" Angel protested. "I just told the King, Queen, and the Captains."

"Gotta remember," Elvira spoke up from where she was still encircled by Wolf's arms. "I don't know how many of us do, but some can hear pretty damn well." Her black lips twitched as she struggled to keep from laughing. "I know I heard you loud and clear."

"Sorry, Lorne, but I didn't name names. You gave yourself away. They have to know. It was highly unusual. Then we all got knocked out. So if we have a Goddess aboard, that would mean . . . " He turned to look at Xena and Gabrielle. "You might know Her?"

"We might," Xena admitted. "Then we might not."

"Well, do you or don't you?" Jack asked.

"Depends," Gabrielle put in. "Exactly _which_ Goddess are we talking about here?" Though she had heard Jareth name Aphrodite, she was still hoping to throw them off. "I mean, there's Discord, Athena, Hera . . ." She was really beginning to get started naming every Goddess other than Aphrodite when Jack broke her off.

"Well, we suspect Aphrodite. Isn't she the Goddess of Love?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Xena said. "We do know her, but it's been a long time. I thought She'd forgotten about us."

It was Jareth's words and true smile that surprised the lot then. "Trust me, madam; that Lady never forgets any lonely soul."

"That's true," Xena admitted, "and She did come aboard both ships. If you promise to be gentlemen, I will call Her and see if She answers."

Jack nodded. "I promise to behave. I'd like to see a Goddess. She must be something to behold!"

Xena looked at Jareth. "And you?"

"I would never do anything to offend Her. I . . . " he paused, glancing at Delvira whose hand he took in the hand that had been freed when he'd placed Salem back on the deck. "I thank Her every day of my life."

Xena called out in a loud, clear voice, "APHRODITE, IF YOU'RE ABOARD, PLEASE SHOW YOURSELF?"

An expected hush fell over the crowd that was exploded into by a scantily-clad, gorgeous blonde dressed all in pink and bubbling over with laughter. Some of the Pirates fell on the ground and covered their faces for they were too afraid to look upon Her. Jack stood, his feet planted firmly but his mouth hanging open. He had really expected nothing to happen and that some one had been playing a trick. Now that the beautiful Goddess had actually appeared, he was so stunned that he could think of nothing to say.

Xena rushed forward and hugged Aphrodite. "It's been so long, Ditey! Why didn't you come before now?"

"Well, you know how things are, Xena. I've been _so_ busy! There's so many wars going on and so many people killing each other; there's just not enough love to go around!" She reached out, hugged Xena, and pulled Gabrielle to Her, as well. "I really got to missing you girls, so I tracked you. I haven't seen you since I helped you two to get together! There have been _so_ many couples after you, but you were always my favorite!"

Jack finally got his mouth to working. "But why my ship? I can see Xena's with your old friends, but why mine?"

"Where do you want Me to start?" Aphrodite questioned him. "My seeing My old friends, wanting to drop by for a visit, then realizing that their anniversary is coming up next week, and I just couldn't let it go by without doing a little something for them? Or maybe with a certain two men who are too stubborn for their own good?" Her eyes met Jack's evenly as She said the last, a teasing smile lighting up her face even more.

Jack looked at Her again. This time, he dared to look straight in Her eyes and had to look away. He didn't ask who the two men were. He figured She'd tell him any way. "But what about the others?"

"Well, Little Mister Chicken," she said, referring to Will who was rather hiding behind Jack at the moment and was still far too shocked to do or say anything, "and you aren't the only ones who are too stubborn for your own good. I mean, _really_, there's Wolverine who doesn't trust any one, Angel and Brendan who think they don't deserve any one -- oh, and those _delicious_ hunks of Demons too -- and that blonde who thinks every else is better off without her and -- "

Feeling that the babbling Goddess could carry on well into the night, Jack knew he had to interrupt. "I'm sure the world's full of other humans who are just as deserving as we are," he put in, "but why us?"

"Because to be quite frank," Aphrodite returned, one hand on Her hip, "out of the whole world, there's no other place with as many messed-up lives as aboard these two ships." She shrugged and winked as She added, "And, besides, none of the others would have mattered to My ladies here." She hugged Xena and Gabby again.

Xena returned Aphrodite's hug, as did Gabrielle. It was Xena who spoke for the both of them, however. "It's good to see You! We've missed You! Come over to our ship, and we can talk about old times."

Jack didn't know what to say. Aphrodite had pinpointed them, and he had to admit that She was right. "One more question. Does it wear off?"

"Now you see _that_ one's a bit tricky," Ditey started with a wrinkle of Her nose. "Sometimes, yes; sometimes, no. But not this time. The pairings I've helped to set up here would have happened with time regardless. I only sped things up. After all, if it'd been left up to you boys, Will would have ended up married to a _woman_ and _you_ would have wound up in Davy Jones' locker. And, yes," she added, feeling the surprise of those around her, "I _do_ know some Pirate talk, thank you very much!"

"No, ma'am; thank _You_ very much," Jack spoke reverently. "Without that added push, I would never have had the courage to gain the one thing I wanted more than anything else in life. I would have lost Will. Without him, life isn't worth living." He reached around and pulled Will to stand beside him. "And I won't have You thinking him a chicken. He's not. He's a very brave man. It's just very hard to let the one you love know how you feel." He breathed a sigh. "Thank you again. We won't let you down."

"Oh, you better not," Aphrodite informed him with a grin, "because if you do, I'll be back."

He pulled Will closer to his side and kissed him in front of the Gods and the world. His crew cheered, realizing that, at last, the two were together. When he looked up again, Aphrodite was gone, taking Xena and Gabrielle with Her, and Will had his eyes closed. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

A sigh fluttered from Will's lips as he slowly opened his eyes and gazed back up at Jack. "Oh, I'm much better than okay," he reassured him with a dazed smile for his air had still not completely returned from Jack's kiss. "I should have thanked Her, though."

"You already did," Aphrodite's voice returned to them though She Herself did not, "and Jack's right about another thing. You may act like a chicken at times, but You're braver than even You know."

"Oh, and I've a message for the little brunette who thinks She doesn't need anybody." Faith's eyes whipped around her. She'd barely silenced herself in time to keep the others from realizing that she, too, had cheered at the realization that Jack and Will were finally together. She knew nobody except Lex had heard her, so just what did this pesky Goddess want? "You do need them. You say there's strength in killing, but there's more in love. One way or another, you're going to find that out." Aphrodite's voice silenced as unexpectedly as it had began, leaving Faith to glare around at the others.

* * *

"Jareth, Delvira, I want you to meet my better half: Will Turner." Before they went any further together, he wanted to know how they would react to his love. That would greatly affect rather or not they would be friends and allies in the future. If they did not accept Will, Jack wanted no part of them.

Delvira smiled and started to speak, but Jareth beat her to it. With a smile, he extended his hand to Will. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Turner." As he shook Will's hand, he added, "I only hope that the two of you will find as much bliss in your union as I have with my Delvira."

Jack grinned. This looked very promising for all of their futures! "Shall we take that tour now?" he proposed.

"In just a moment," Jareth replied. Without looking behind him, he pointed a finger at Hoggle who had just opened a bottle of rum for no one other than himself. "Hogwart, do you _want_ to return to the Bog?"

"NO, SIR!" the Dwarf screeched, releasing the bottle so that it rolled across the deck.

It stopped at Donkey's hooves. "Jackpot!" The excited word slipped from Donkey's mouth even as he grabbed the bottle with his mouth and started to drink.

"Now you may spend some time with your cousin," Jareth informed Hoggle, "but should I have any reason to complain over you, you will be returned to the Bog posthaste, savvy?"

"Yes, sir!" With that, Hoggle ran and Jareth turned his attention back to Jack. He started to speak but stopped as he realized that he was being stared at. He turned his head, and this time, his eyes met with a pair of angry, ice blue eyes. "Am I going to have to send you back there again?"

"Try it," Crystal seethed.

Angel reached out and touched Crys' arm. "Crys, don't," he asked her pleadingly. Everything had been going so well, and he couldn't bare the fact that she was about to get thrown back to the galley again. "He apologized already to the Captains."

"I know," she returned. "To the _Captains_. I haven't heard one word -- "

Jareth stopped her short. He had already taken in the men standing to either side of her as well as the three animals that surrounded her. He did not know their names so called to them instead by their species, "To the dragon, the wolf -- Not you," he glanced at Wolf. "Hers," he added, looking back at the lupine Elvira. "The cat -- er, lioness," he corrected, remembering the catpeople. "And the two to either side of you. You each have my deep apo -- apo -- apol -- Damn it, not again!"

"He's trying to say he's sorry," Delvira explained for her husband.

Crystal eyed him questioningly. "Precisely," Jareth agreed. Crys hesitated, considering his words, then looked to those who were gathered around her. If they accepted his apology, she would let it slide . . . _this_ time.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Angel said followed quickly by Lorne's thanks. Blue cooed, and Elvira nodded her head in acceptance. Cindy remained silent, however.

"Coo coo coo coo!" Blue quickly informed them.

Delvira cocked her head to one side as she listened to the dragon. She thought she understood what he was trying to tell them but was not certain. Looking at the lioness, she asked, "Do you hate men?" Cindy nodded. "Then would you please accept _my_ apology," Delvira humbly requested, "from one woman who has to keep her man straight to another woman who has to keep the men in her life in line?" A catish smile spread over the lioness' face at that, and an audible sigh of relief could be heard generating from more than one pair of lips.

That was the first time Angel found out that Cindy hated men. He knew he'd have to watch her in the future.

Lorne thought, If _Cindy_ hates men, why was it _Elvira_ that bit me in the butt? He'd keep his eye on that cat just in case. One never knew about cats.

Jareth's eyes met Crystal's. "And, most of all, madam, I ap -- apo -- apol -- " He sighed. "You-know for having caused any harm to your family whatsoever."

She watched him warily, the denial that all were her family on the tip of her tongue, but did not speak. Instead, she only nodded her acceptance.

"Shall we continue on our tour?" Jack asked Jareth, hoping there wouldn't be any more outbursts. He clung to Will's hand to make sure that Will went with him.

Will could feel Jack's nervousness but was not sure where it steamed from. He entwined his fingers with Jack's in silent reassurance that he was not going anywhere.

Jareth turned his attention back to the Captain and his lover, his own arm sneaking out to wrap around Delvira's slender waist and pull her closer. "Yes, let's _begin_," he quietly corrected Jack. He hoped he would find the ship to his liking as he already had its crew.

"Before today, we were mostly males aboard the ship, and we had an open sleeping quarters. As soon as we get to Tortuga, I am going to have my carpenter get lumber and separate the quarters. If nothing else, the females will all be together in one section. He's a very smart young man; I'll have to put it to him. I am sure that there will be those who wish to share their sleeping quarters with their partner, such as your sister-in-law, but hers will be the first built. We have a group of four sisters who will be next on the list; they definitely need to be protected." His voice trailed off, and the crew returned to work.

* * *

As the others left, Wolf released Elvira and moved to face her instead. "We need to talk, but I must get my clothes first so that I can return Jareth's cloak. Stay here, and I'll be back." Without another word, he headed off for the crow's nest. He hoped that his clothes were still in tact.

Elvira's words stuck in her throat as Wolf left her. She turned, watching his departing back with sad eyes. She knew he was furious with her. She shouldn't care, she told herself. After all, wasn't he just a good screw, even if he was the best she'd ever had? Yet she did care, and her heart felt as though there was a knife in it.

Yipping met her ears, and she turned toward it to find Gonk racing at her. She knelt and gathered him in her arms. "Hey, baby. Where've you been?" He licked her face, but no smile crossed her black lips.

"Mommy's screwed up again." Wolf had told her to stay, but even then she was walking away from the spot he'd left her at, her eyes drawn to Jareth's ship. "Maybe that's all this was: a screw-up." She looked questioningly down at Gonk. "What do you think?" The poodle only stared at her in response, and she sighed.

* * *

Clark finally spotted Lex, and a smile came to his lips. Still holding tightly to the children's hands, he walked toward him. "Lex, I missed you. What in the world has been going on while we were napping?"

Faith had still been standing next to Lex when Clark had called out to him. She glanced at him as he approached with the kids, then turned her attention to Lex. "I'll catch ya, Luthor," she coldly spoke. She was gone before he could say one word. With the danger passed, her thoughts were already returning to Dawson, and she had no intention of hanging around any one, let alone children, until she could stop the annoying thoughts that seemed to be eating away at all her common sense.

Lex stifled a sigh. He wished there was something that he could do to help Faith but knew from past experience that there really was not, at least not yet. Turning his attention back to his lover and the children, he smiled. "Crazy story," he answered with a grin. "Not really long but definitely crazy."

"We had a bit of an accident when the spin happened," Clark told him. "Sarah got sick, and I realized we haven't washed clothes in ages. I couldn't find a single clean shirt! The kids only have the clothes they were wearing when we rescued them, so I borrowed one of your shirts. I hope it was okay."

"You should know it was," Lex reassured him with a gentle smile. He knelt down and opened his arms to Sarah; she flew into them. "Are you feeling better now, Sarah?" he asked her. She nodded. Lex was getting worried, because no matter what he asked Sarah, she never said a word. He wanted to get Brendan to check her out, but things had been happening too fast.

He reached out and tousled Julian's hair. "Looks like you two need a bath, as well. Actually, make that all of us," Lex said. He dared not smell his pit for he couldn't remember when he'd had a bath last. Was that only yesterday? It seemed like a million light-years ago!

"I don't know anything about bathing kids," Lex admitted as he stood back up, holding Sarah. "Maybe we can get one of the women to help us?" He knew better than to ask Faith. She'd take them out and drown them. He glanced around at the ladies who were still on deck. "Katrina, could I ask a great big favor?"

"Sure, Lex." She liked the young man and would do what she could to help him.

"Could you teach Clark and me how to wash kids? We all need a bath, but the kids need it really bad. Sarah was sick."

"Tell you what, Lex. Let us take the kids for a while. You and Clark go get a bath. I hate to tell you, Clark, but you really smell," she informed him, her nose wrinkling in his direction. "We'll take the kids, and you can come get them later." She figured that would give the boys a little time alone together, something they both desperately needed.

Clark nodded. He thought that would be a great thing to happen. "We still need to learn how to wash them."

"Tomorrow," Katrina assured him, hoping that Celina would have some ideal, more than she did, about how to wash kids. Her sister had kittensitted a few times, but she did not even have that much exposure to children. After all, she had been a Starship Captain, and there had never been any kids on her starship.

Julian looked at the catwoman. "Pretty," he said as he reached out toward her. She leaned down and picked him up.

"Thank you, Julian. Let's go have some fun and get a bath." She thought that sounded inane to even her own ears. Fun? Bath? There was no way that that could be! She didn't like baths either.

Celina smiled at Lex and held her arms out for Sarah. "We'll take good care of them, Lex. Come and get them after you two are done. We'll have them all nice and clean for you."

"Thank you so much," Lex and Clark said together, "for everything." They were both excited because, at last, they would get a chance to be alone.

Katrina looked around for Tom and noticed that both he and Morph were missing. "Figures," she said. "Neither one of our guys are anywhere around."

"It would have been nice if they had at least got us some water!" Celina complained to the air. The sisters headed off for the sleeping quarters. When they got there, they were surprised to find two tubs of water and lit lanterns waiting, yet there was still no sign of their husbands. They shook their heads but turned their attention back to the children.

* * *

It only took Wolf seconds to reach the top of the crow's nest, and he picked his clothes up. Thankfully, the pants were in tact, but the shirt looked as though it had blown apart from the inside out. Had he wolfed? He couldn't remember. Elvira and he had had so many wonderful encounters that he didn't even remember how many times they had actually done it. In fact, they would still be up there doing it if Jareth had never appeared on the scene.

Why did she not tell him that her sister was Helvira? Did she really think he would not know who she was? He couldn't get over how close Delvira and Elvira resembled each other. They were identical, even down to their scent, for he had sniffed Delvira as he waited in front of Jareth. If those two smelled the same, then he had to believe what Jareth said was true. Helvira was just as identical to them as they were to each other.

He wondered if Elvira had not told him simply because she was afraid that he wouldn't want her any more. That certainly wasn't the case! Wolf thought even as the mere ideal of her caused him to get hard once again. He angrily tried to shake his feelings down. What if, in truth, she had turned out to be Helvira instead of Elvira? She was a woman. Didn't she have to have sex, too? Being the triplet of the other two, she would have an equally deep sexual appetite.

His voice had been scathing when he had talked to Elvira minutes before, and it worried him. He hoped he had not hurt her so much that she wouldn't speak to him, but he had to know why she had not told him. He had come very close to betraying his Captain, something he would have rather died than to ever do. He didn't want to lose Elvira.

Gods, women were so complicated! Even when they burnt you up and put you in Heaven one second, they burned you up and put you in Hell the next! He wrapped the cloak around himself once again and dropped the shirt out of the crow's nest to the deck. He began to descend.

"Hey!" a voice called up to him in protest. "Watch where you throw those things!" Brendan snatched Wolf's shirt off of his head, and his nose wrinkled as it passed by his face. "When was the last time you had a bath, any way?"

"Yesterday, I think. Sorry about falling on you earlier." He stepped onto the deck, took his shirt, balled it up, and threw it into one of the rubbish bins.

"Wolf, I . . . " Brendan's nervous eyes skirted around the ship, looking at anything but Wolf. "I need to talk to you . . ."

"This sounds serious, Brendan. What can I help you with?" He looked at Brendan. "I'll do anything I can." He wondered if something had turned up bad on the tests Brendan had given him.

"I need to know something, but I'm afraid it's very personal." He raked a nervous hand through his thick hair before daring to look questioningly at Wolf. "How . . . How do you do it?"

Wolf thought for a minute. "How do I do what, Brendan? You seem very upset. What's wrong? There's no one around that can hear, including Carl, because I saw him heading off with his cousin a while ago. I don't smell anybody besides us."

"Well, it's sort of a long story or maybe . . . maybe not really . . . " Brendan's words stumbled over themselves as he tried to explain his situation to Wolf. "I . . . There's a . . . One of the new women aboard . . . She kissed me today . . . "

"I heard about that," Wolf interrupted, "and you wolfed. Jack had to knock you out. I'm not surprised. You are a virgin, aren't you?" He looked straight into Brendan's eyes, wondering if the kid would deny it or not.

Brendan nodded. "I am. I never . . . I never thought I could . . . you-know . . . without . . . without killing . . . eating . . . the woman . . . but . . . you manage it."

"Well, as you say, it's a long story. I, too, could not control myself in the beginning, not until I met a very special woman. She was a very beautiful Gypsy. I followed her everywhere in my man form, but my wolf form was drawn to her, as well. On full moons, I lingered outside her tent, just smelling and wanting her. I thought I would die of the want, but I dared not touch her. I knew I'd eat her. That's what our kind are best known for. I didn't want to eat her, not in that way."

"She was aware of me, although I thought she was not, and she approached the man part of me. She told me that the only way we could do it would be if I got myself under control. Well, I had no clue as to how to do that, but she knew everything."

"She was my first lover. We had to be very careful and work on it together. She chained me securely, and when I turned . . . " he paused for a minute, " . . . she made love to me. Not the man part. The wolf part. Now you would have thought that I would have ripped those chains apart and torn her limb from limb, but I didn't. Even as we made it a second time, I changed from the wolf into the man. We made love the rest of the night."

"From that moment to this, I have had control." He looked at Brendan. "It's what worked for me, kid. It will work for you, too, but the woman has to be willing. She has to take charge without fear in her heart. There has to be love."

Brendan's skin was paled at the realization of what Wolf had just told him, and his eyes displayed his fear clearly. He managed to keep his voice firm when he spoke, however. "Thank you." He hoped that Wolf would not sense his emotions but could not help them for now he knew the truth beyond any further shadow of a doubt. Jack had been wrong, and he had been right. He could not ask Prue to make love to his wolf; he could never allow it even if she would want to. He could never place her in that kind of danger. He was going to be a wolf forever, would never be able to be with Prue, and would die a virgin.

Wolf looked at Brendan's head hanging down. "You don't think she loves you enough to want to do your wolf, or do you not love her enough to ask? Brendan, you can't just hang it up, and yes, I know what you're thinking for I thought the same thing. She got me drunk, chained me, and took care of it all in one night. We spent three days making love after that. I'd be with her now, but I can't. If Prue loves you, she will gladly do it. You need to talk to her. Or do you just want to throw everything away?"

Brendan shook his head. "It is not that I _want_ to throw everything away, my friend," he explained, slowly raising his eyes to look into Wolf's, "but I can not ask her to do that. Even if she would, I could not allow it. I will not put her in harm's way, but . . . I do thank you for telling me."

"There will come a time, Brendan, that you will not want to be anywhere near her. And don't tell me it's there now. I'm a wolf just like you are. I know what you're feeling. At that time, your desire for her will overpower you. I'll know when it is for wolves can feel it in each other. I'll come and be with you."

"Any time you want to talk, you have but to approach me. We'll go somewhere so that nobody can hear, but I want you to think this over. If you are chained, you can't possibly hurt her, and although wolves are bigger than humans, we're not anything that certain women can't handle. She might just be one of those. Elvira certainly is." He clasped Brendan to him in a bear hug. "Any time, day or night, Brendan, you need me, let me know. I've got to get back to Elvira now. I said some angry words to her earlier. I'm looking forward to making up with her."

Brendan nodded in understanding though he already knew that he could never allow Prue to make love to his wolf, not even with chains for there was always a chance that they might break. Yet when Wolf spoke to him of Elvira, he looked at him with questions in his eyes. "I'm confused," he admitted. "If you want to be with the Gypsy, why are you with Elvira?"

"My Gypsy was killed a long time ago by evil humans. I killed them. I ran away and was being hunted by the townsfolk. They didn't care that Melinda was killed. They thought nothing of her life, but the three that killed her were leading townsmen. They wanted my head on a platter. Jack saved my unworthy hide and brought me to the Pearl."

Brendan smiled sadly at Wolf's words about Jack's rescue of Wolf's "unworthy hide". He could not even begin to count the number of times he had thought the same, but he knew that Wolf was worthy though he himself was not and Jack would argue that they both were. "He's good at that," he agreed. He then sobered. "I am sorry that you lost her, but thank you, Wolf." He again hugged him.

"I am sorry for the loss of her, as well, my friend, but I am very thankful for her. She was one Hell of a woman. I have observed your Prue. I think she is, too. Remember, if you need me . . . "

Brendan nodded. "I'll howl."

"And I'll run like the wind," Wolf said. He smiled at Brendan even as he left him to seek for Elvira.

* * *

Upon reaching their sleeping quarters, Lex looked around at the disarray. Clothes were scattered everywhere. He picked up one shirt and smelled it. Holding his nose, he said, "Phew! It has been a while since we've washed. We'd better do that first as we may not even have a clean pair of pants to put on."

Clark nodded. Since leaving the others, he had fallen quiet. While they had been with the kids, he had had to fight to keep in control of his emotions and had managed to concentrate on them rather than what had happened, but now all he could think of was the auction and the lives he had taken.

Lex gathered the clothes up together into a pile and stuffed them into a bag. Then he pushed Clark down on the bed. "We'd best talk here. The other places might have people, and we have things that have to be said. Do you want to talk first, or do you want me to start?" He turned Clark around slightly and began to massage his back. He couldn't believe how tense he was.

Silence reigned for a long moment before Clark finally admitted softly, "I can't get it out of my head, Lex. I can't stop thinking about them, stop hearing the screams . . . " He struggled to keep the tears in his eyes from falling.

"Don't take credit for all those screams," Lex softly chided him. "In truth, you hit very few people. The rest of us were having a really good time taking care of the jerks. The only one I actually saw you hit was the one that was about to kill Will. Julian said you killed the ones that were trying to rape Sarah. So you did nothing wrong, my love, but in fact, saved three very wonderful people, none of whom would be alive now if you had not killed their attackers." He continued to massage Clark's back. He felt his shoulders shake and knew that he was fighting tears. He gently kissed him on the back of the neck.

"It's not right," Clark protested quietly. "I didn't want them to die, Lex, but I didn't want to kill any one either. There had to have been another way, but we didn't even get the chance to see if there was. And just what the heck caused _fire_ to come out of my _eyes_, any way! What if it happens again?"

Lex stopped massaging Clark and pulled his back up against his chest, encircling him with his arms. "You know you have strange powers, Clark. When they started kicking in, they weren't scary, just amazing. Each of them has been a gift in what it can enable you to do. We don't know how many powers you may have laying dormant in there, and we don't know when they're going to kick in. This one caught us unawares, but it was needed just the same. There was no way we could have reached any of those attackers in time to save Will and the kids. Your speed might have enabled you to save one of them, but all three of them? I don't think so."

"You were never able to control any of the powers when they first kicked in. Some of them were fun while learning how to use them, but this one is scary as Hell. Don't let it make you think that I'm going to run out on you. I'm always going to be here for you, Clark." Lex kissed the back of his head and then turned Clark around to face him. "No matter what you do or even if you try to make me leave you, I'm never going to leave you, and together we can face anything, even your fire power."

Clark's brain knew that Lex was right and that they could not have saved the others if not for his fire, but his heart still refused to stop feeling guilty for the deaths that he had caused. His teary eyes slowly raised to Lex's, and he could see both his love and the truth of his words in his beloved's gaze. He could also see his fear, however, and knew that he was just as scared as he was. He raised a hand to gently cup his face even as he spoke. "Lex, fire isn't something that can be played with. We both know that, and by Gods, I don't . . . I don't want to cause what Lionel almost did. I never would willingly, but I can't control it."

He gently stroked Clark's face. It was a face he loved waking up to every morning and hoped to for the rest of his life. "Clark, you're not going to hurt the ones you love. I know that, and deep down, you know that. What my Father did bothers me greatly. You know I lost my brother in that fire. You would never do anything like that. I know it, but you have to know it in here." He gently touched him on his heart. "Believe in yourself, Clark, as I believe in you. Trust yourself as I trust you."

"We will watch for the fire power together. It is something to be leery of, but that doesn't mean that you can't get it under control. When we get to Tortuga, we'll practice it away from others so that no one can get hurt. You have to get to where you'll be comfortable with it and not fear it. Gods only know what great miracles you might pull off with it." He brushed his hair back out of his face. He kissed him gently on his forehead, then the tip of his nose, and finally his lips.

Even as Clark returned Lex's kiss in full, his lips parting under his so that their tongues could spark a duet, he could not keep the fear from his mind or heart. He knew that Lex believed in him just as much as he believed in Lex, but to believe in himself was another thing entirely. He knew he would never willingly hurt Lex or any of the others, for that matter, but he also knew that he could not control his fire power. What if it kicked in, without warning, while they were out here at sea? It could only spell their doom if it did.

Lex had read many books in the past, and now, suddenly, in the midst of kissing Clark, he broke off. "You remember that book I got in port last time? The one about the blind guy who had the strange vision caused by heat and the glasses that he had especially made for himself that shielded his eyes? Just a thought, but Doctor Doom might be able to make you a pair. When I put the shirt on you, your eyes quit shooting fire. The glasses might have the same effect. It's worth a shot, don't you think?"

Clark nodded. "I'll try anything." He had wanted some time alone with Lex so desperately that his body ached for his lover's, but they also needed to figure out something to do about the fire. It was then that another thought occurred to him: What if his latest power kicked in during the midst of making love to Lex? He paled at that thought and barely managed to keep his voice from shaking as he asked, "Why don't we go find him and see what he thinks?"

Lex, whose own body had been throbbing excessively from the lack of Clark, whispered, "Later," and pushed Clark back on the cot. The cot was just big enough to hold the both of them. He kissed Clark on both of his closed eyes and then worked his way down to the first button on his shirt which he opened with his teeth. He then kissed the newly exposed area.

"Lex, maybe . . . maybe this isn't exactly . . . exactly the best time . . . "

"Any time's the best time, darling," Lex said as he worked the next button loose. He couldn't tell yet if Clark's sword was rising to the occasion, but his was so stiff that it was threatening to burst his pants. This time when the shirt opened, he licked him.

Lex's every touch was boiling Clark's blood ever more, but still his fear persisted. He kept his eyes tightly shut even as his hands reached out, groping blindly for any kind of cloth that he could tie around his eyes.

Lex, realizing what Clark was trying to do, came back up to his lips. He kissed Clark's eyelids again. "Open your eyes, beloved. I want you to look at me. Believe what I am telling you. You're not going to hurt me. You're exhausted; your power will not kick in now. Maybe when you've rested, and don't think I believe you were napping this afternoon. You caught me talking to Faith, and you backed up, didn't you, thinking I didn't see you? But I felt you. You can't get near me, Clark, without my feeling you. You're in my blood. Your blood calls to me, and mine calls to you. Don't you feel it?"

Though Clark still refused to open his eyes, his right hand found Lex's face, and he caressed him. "Of course I do! I love you, Lex, but I don't want to risk hurting you!" A smile toyed with his lips, however, as he admitted, "And you're right. I wasn't sleeping, but you needed time with her. If I'd made myself known, she would have cussed us out and ran like the wind."

He laid down beside Clark, pulling him into his arms. "I don't know why she is like she is, Clark. She's her own worst enemy, but she cares about both of us. She's helped us a lot in the past. She just doesn't want credit for it. I don't know what to do to make you open your eyes, but you can't go around with them closed all the time. You had them open on deck. Why won't you open them now?"

"Lex, when I . . . When the fire kicked in, it was because I saw that guy about to kill you. I was desperate to reach you, and the fire came with the emotions. What if . . . What if that's what triggers it?"

"I think it's triggered by intense anger, so unless you're angry with me about something, Clark, why would you fire at me? Are you mad at me?"

His arm wrapped around Lex, squeezing him in a gentle hug to his side. "I'm not mad at you, love," he reassured him.

"Then open your eyes. I want to look into them when I make love to you." He pushed Clark back onto his back and rose above him, still looking at his closed eyes.

"But what if it's not anger? What if it's any intense emotion?"

"Trust me, Clark." He leaned down and kissed him. "If that was the case, then it would have probably kicked in sooner. How many times have we touched and the emotion not been so strong that it threatened to melt us? And how many times have you been so angry that you felt like you were about to explode and yet felt helpless at the same time?" He lay half on Clark and half on the cot, looking at his eyes and willing them to open.

Lex's words made sense, Clark realized. Every time Lex so much as touched him, heat unlike any other shot through him, but although he'd also been furious before, he had never felt both as angry and helpless as he had when he had seen his beloved about to be killed that day. Could it be? Could Lex be right and that was what caused it? He dared to lift his eyes slowly, sensing for the heat that had rushed into them earlier that day. No sign of the hot feeling that had encased his eyes when the fire had shot from them came, and eventually, Clark found himself gazing back into Lex's beautiful eyes. A smile lit up his face.

Lex wanted to crow in triumph! Clark had opened his eyes! "Your eyes are so beautiful, Clark; I get lost in them every time I look into them. The love in them overwhelms me, especially knowing that it's all for me! It makes me feel blessed every day; _you_ make me feel blessed every day!" He leaned down, reverently took Clark's lips gently at first, and then deepened the kiss as he felt the heat rush over him.

* * *

Elvira stood at the Pearl's railing, her haunted black eyes focused on Jareth's ship, Delvira's Delight. Perhaps the best thing she could do was to just go across? They could always drop her off at the next port.

"Hey, baby!" a voice called to her. "Come on over!"

"Yeah," another added, "we can play a game!"

She glanced at the creatures that called to her in time to see a head bobbing up and down in the air and grinning at her. "Come on, hot stuff!"

She glared at them. "Go to Hell!"

"Aw! Come on! That ain't the way to play!"

Elvira growled at them, then tore her eyes away. Perhaps if she ignored them, they'd go away. They continued to call to her, and Gonk began to bark at them.

* * *

The first thing Wolf heard was Gonk barking madly at something orange bouncing up and down. The creatures weren't actually touching the ship, but they were very close to it. They began to call to him. "Hey, man! Take off your head! We can play!"

"Take off _your_ head," Wolf growled as he reached out, snatched one of their heads, and threw it as far as he could. The rest of them raced madly after it, trying to catch it. Turning back in the direction he had been headed, he saw Elvira standing with her back to him and leaning on the railing. "Hey, beautiful," he called to her. He kept walking toward her, hoping she'd turn around.

"Hello." Her tone was formal and tight, and she kept her eyes focused on the other ship and her back turned to him. Gods, she should have just went ahead while she'd had the chance! Playing with the Fieries would have been easier than facing Wolf at the moment. She gathered Gonk more tightly to her bosom.

He walked up behind her, slipped his arms around her, and nuzzled her neck. "Forgive me, sweetheart, for being so grouchy earlier. I was puzzled why you didn't tell me about your sister, and I felt that I almost betrayed Jack. I don't want to lose you, Elvira!" There was a cry in his voice. "I love you!" He nuzzled her neck again.

Those three words caused her to jump away from him. She whirled so that her back pressed against the railing, and her eyes looked at him in alarm. "Whoa! Hold on right there, lover boy!"

"_Now_ what did I say wrong?" Wolf asked, reluctantly letting her go.

She wielded Gonk between them as though the poodle was a shield. "Wolf, I thought . . . I thought we were just, you know, bed mates . . . "

"If that's what you want. I'll take you any way that you'll give yourself to me, but I can't help what's in my heart." He looked at her pleadingly like a lost little puppy.

His gaze melted her, forcing the tenseness in her body to relax to the point that she nearly dropped Gonk. How could he love her? she wondered. "You barely know me," she choked out. "What makes you think you love me?"

"Put the dog down. Come here," he directed.

She looked at him suspiciously. She lowered Gonk gently to the deck but did not step any closer.

He stepped closer to her instead, reached out, took her hand, and placed it on his heart. "Do you feel that? It hasn't beat that well for a long time. In fact, I thought I might even be dying until I met you. You make every part of me alive. Every part of me wants you." He lowered her hand so that she could feel his sword. "How could I not love you? You make me want to live and love again." His eyes connected with hers, and he tried to send the love he was feeling for her through his gaze.

Her hand felt the bulge of his mighty sword through his pants. Perhaps she could distract him? she wondered. Take his mind away from all this insane talk about love? She started to caress him, but her fingers froze as he gazed at her with such adoration in his eyes. No man had ever looked at her that way before, and his gaze shot straight to her heart. "Wolf, I . . . I don't . . . know what to say . . ."

He lifted her hand and kissed it. "Why are you so afraid of some one loving you? You're very easy to love. I never get enough of you." He could not believe the heat surging through his body nor that his sword still wanted Elvira. They had been doing it all day, and yet it was ready, willing, and able to go again!

"Wolf, I've never . . . never really had a steady man in my life. Actually, I've never had any one steady in my life except for Delvira and Gonk. Look at me," she told him. "Yes, I'm beautiful, but I'm also a ghoul. They get or take what they want, and then, when they no longer want me, they run like Hell or . . . or . . . " Her voice trailed off, and her eyes dropped from his, turning instead to the deck.

"Or what?" he asked, his eyes still locked on her luscious body. "What happens to them?"

"There was one once. We'd been at it for a while, but I didn't realize that he was . . . that he had it as bad for me as he did. He . . . He asked me to marry him, and I told him I didn't know, that I had to think about it. When I got home the next morning, he was . . . he was in my bed. He was . . . He was dead, Wolf." Tears clouded both her vision and words. "And that's when I first met Helvira."

"She killed him?" he questioned. "I've met her before on several occasions, and none of them were very pleasant. I was with Jack when he took Brendan away from her. She almost killed Jack, but I managed to divert her weapon. I got this for my efforts." He pointed to the scar that was on his right breast. "It was an awful wound, but Jack stayed right with me and doctored me. He had his hands full, because he had Brendan and myself and we were both out of our heads. I'm not scared of the bitch for myself. I'm scared of her hurting Jack or Brendan again. I was kind of . . . startled to find out that she was your sister. Why didn't you tell me? Did you think I'd turn against you?" He held on to her, knowing that she would run from him if she could.

"Wolf . . . " Slowly, her eyes raised to met his again, and questions shone past her tears that did not fall. "Wolf, if you met her before, why didn't you think I was her? We look exactly alike. We smell exactly alike. She's tricked many into thinking that she was us. Mack thought that she was me; she screwed him before killing him. She even tricked Jareth and almost succeeded in not only killing him but taking over his Kingdom, as well."

"Maybe because of Gonk -- no four-leggers will get anywhere near her -- and maybe because the wolf in me could tell that you were not her? The spark in you wasn't the same. All the others she's messed with are basically human to begin with. Only Brendan and I were different. If he had met you with Gonk, he would have known that you were not her, but Gonk was nowhere to be seen at his first sighting of you."

Wolf looked around for Gonk and noticed that he was sitting by Elvira's feet. "Thank you, Gonk, for bringing my lady to me."

"Now how I will tell you apart in the future, if Gonk's not around, I don't know. Maybe we need some kind of special message for each other, and when we meet, we whisper it to each other so that no one else knows what it is? What do you think, love?"

She was still puzzled. "That's sort of what Jareth and Delvira use now, so it'd probably work. But didn't you even think about her when you saw me? You keep wondering why I didn't tell you, but how was I supposed to know that you knew her? You could have mentioned her just as easily as I could have."

"I pretended that you didn't look like her, that you were just you. I didn't think that you had anything to do with her nor that it was possible that she could track you down. She's always hunting for Jack, so I would not have been surprised if she had appeared behind or near him. If I had let my brain take over, I would have probably ran away from you just in case you were her, but I knew that Gonk would not be hanging with her and he seemed to be glued to you when I found you. I also knew that she would not be amongst the Witches needing rescuing. In fact, she was at the auction; Jack fought with her again and took her heart."

She nodded. "I heard him telling Jareth about that. Wolf, I swear, if I had known you knew her, I would have said something, but I didn't! I had no way of knowing, and really, what am I supposed to do, go running around and telling everybody I meet that hey, knowing me could get them killed?"

"Let's put it behind us, darling. I have no intention of you running around telling anybody anything about that bitch. I do want to introduce you properly to Jack, though. I don't want him to be drunk one night, spot you, and think that you're Helvira. He'd kill you before I had the chance to defend you! Gods, you're beautiful!" He breathed in her scent. "How could something so awful as your sister be so like you? Was it a spell or perhaps a curse? What did your parents tell you?"

"Nothing," she said with a shake of her head. "Wolf, Delvira, Helvira, and I are the only ones left of our family or, at least, we are as far as we know. We didn't even know . . . Well, Delvira and I didn't even know about each other growing up. I don't know when Helvira learned of us."

"You're orphans?" he asked. "You're all Sorceresses. Perhaps your parents were in danger and broke the three of you apart to protect you. Whoever got a hold of Helvira must have been evil and raised her to be evil." He held her close to him, so close that he could feel her heartbeat against his. It was much slower than his. He didn't know if that was because he was a wolf and his heartbeat was faster than humans or because she was half-Vamp, but he did know that her heartbeat reassured his own heart.

"Now, sweetheart, we're going to put your sister into the past. I'm going to put you and what you're feeling now in the present. I need to know how you feel about me. You reacted so strangely when I said I love you that you must not feel that way about me, so I want you to tell me what our relationship is to be."

There was a long pause before she finally spoke again. "Wolf, I . . . I don't think I can do that, because I don't know myself. Like I told you before, I've never had any one steady in my life except for Delvira and Gonk. I'm not saying I'm a virgin, because I'm not. Gods know I've been around, but it's never been as good as it is with you and I've never really felt anything deeper than just the basic Hey-I-like-you-let's-screw-each-other's-brains-out before. But with you . . . " She raised her eyes to gaze into his. "There's something different, something I've never felt before, and I don't know what it is."

"Do you want me to go away?" His words stumbled out.

"No!" The exclamation slipped from her lips before he had even finished his last word. "It'd probably be safer for you, but no. I just . . . I don't know what's going on here." Her pale forehead creased with confusion. "Just the thought of you burns me, but I feel for you too."

"Just the thought of you burns me, as well, my love. I'm not going anywhere, not unless you tell me to. Then it won't be far. I was not a virgin when we met today. I was in love once, but she was killed. I have not actively pursued females. I never felt comfortable with it until we had what we had today. We fit perfectly, as though our bodies were made for each other. I feel very uncomfortable and my skin itches when I'm away from you, but the closer I get to you, the more it centralizes into one big itch that only you can scratch. In fact, I'm itching for you now, but I don't want to rush you. I feel as though I should be satiated and worn out, but I just can't seem to get enough. Yet we've cum together every time. You fulfill my every need. You fill me with more heat and passion than I've ever felt before. I fear that if I lose you, I will shrivel up and die for after having lived with you in my arms, only death would await me should I lose you." He nibbled her ear.

Elvira had never been good at talking about feelings or even considering them for that matter, but now, for Wolf, she tried. "Wolf, when you were angry with me earlier, I -- I thought I'd screwed up. I do a lot of that, and I don't usually care. I'm a woman who tells the world to go to Hell unless I want something from it at the moment. But . . . A while ago, when I thought whatever's building between us had been lost, it hurt like a . . . like a knife driven deep in my heart. I don't know what's going on here. I don't know what these feelings are, but I know I don't want to lose you."

"Shall we go to the crow's nest, darling? I don't want to share you with the world, but I do want to swim within you again. I want to dive so deeply into you that we are totally one!"

She smiled at him even as she slid closer, her hips cradling and sliding against his sword. "Then you'd better hurry, lover," she whispered against his lips before taking them with her own. Her black nails dragged warningly against his pants.

"Wrap your legs around me; I'll carry you up," he murmured against her lips.

Without wasting a single word more, she jumped up, her long legs entwining around his waist. Her lips left his to begin a trail of heated kisses down his neck.

He leaped toward the rigging and began pulling them towards the crow's nest. Each time he moved upward, his sword surged against her and grew even larger.

As they tumbled into the crow's nest together, Elvira's fingernails again found his pants. This time, there was a popping sound. Freed from the fabric, Wolf's sword sprang home.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	34. Chapter Thirtythree

**Chapter Thirty-three**

Piper stood in front of the shorter table that stood before two long tables in the galley, her hands on her hips as she thoughtfully surveyed what was set out before her. The plates, silverware, and napkins, which she had had an extremely hard time indeed in locating, waited at the beginning of the table while the bourbon chicken started the actual meal. Next in line were the strips of fried potatoes followed by the baked beans, biscuits, and cornbread. An assortment of pies finished the line-up. Everything looked appropriately delicious, and she could still see the steam rising off of the food. She shook her head in silent amazement at the remembrance of how Crystal's ice had kept the food safe and her dragon had then heated it back up. She glanced over at Lorne and Crys where they were busily fixing drinks on one of the counters. "How are we coming?"

Lorne counted the drinks. "We're almost there, Miss Piper. In fact, you could go ahead and ring the bell. It's over by the door."

Piper nodded and was about to walk over to the bell when Joxer rang it. He grinned at her. "You don't know how long it's been since I got to do that!"

"I thought you were one of the cooks before?"

"I was, but they never came when I rang so I gave up on the bell and figured they'd show up when they finally got hungry enough."

Piper did not speak again, but her gaze turned silently to focus on the door. She hoped they would come this time and, more importantly, that they would like the dinner she and the others had created.

* * *

Autolycus had ran as far and fast as he could after getting away from Xena. He felt lucky to be alive. He reached the place where he had hidden the girls and pulled the canvas back. Still scared, they were huddled under it together. "The Captain wants to see you ladies," he informed them. "Did you keep my money safe?"

The blonde nodded, but the brunette told him, "Yes. We haven't left from under here." She was watching him with an odd expression, but Autolycus dismissed it as fear.

"We didn't think you were ever coming back," the redhead cried.

"Well, I had a lot to do," he admitted, "and I got into trouble several times. Since I didn't reveal your whereabouts, the Captain demanded that I fetch you." He gathered up the bundles that contained coins and other loot and told the girls to come with him. He was leading them to where he knew Xena had waited when he heard the bells. He looked around in puzzlement. The bells never went off unless there was a fight. At least, they had not in a long time. Were they under attack? He looked around but didn't see anything. The girls huddled so close to him that he could hardly move without bumping into one of them.

* * *

Jack was in the midst of a discussion about his plans for redoing the sleeping quarters when the Witch's bells went off and he snapped to attention. What in the world! Were they under attack? His hand reached immediately for his sword, but a quick surveyance showed him that there were no other ships around. It could only be one thing: the dinner bell. It had been such a long time since he'd heard it that he had not recognized it. "I believe dinner is served, Your Majesties."

Jareth nodded. "Perhaps we can continue the tour later tonight after you've eaten?"

"You are welcome to stay to dinner. We have a new cook, and Gods know I hope she's great! I can't remember the last time I ate anything that was good!"

Jareth's eyes widened in surprise, and he interrupted Will without realizing it. "Are . . . Are you sure?" he asked softly. The thought of being allowed to sit down to a meal prepared by human hands astonished him.

"But of course, Your Majesty," Jack replied with a smile. "You are more than welcome to stay. It would be a pleasure to have you."

Jareth's smile lit up his face, and he squeezed Delvira with an eagerness that she knew, for a change, had nothing to do with their cabin. "That would be wonderful! Even if she can not cook as well as you are used to, I know it will undoubtedly be far better than anything I am used to! You have no ideal what having to eat goblin food is like!"

"You have no ideal what it's like to eat food cooked by Joxer and Autolycus, either. It's not fit for human consumption, so anything Miss Piper can cook should be fine."

Will spoke up at that time. "I saw her appetizers, and if the rest of her food tastes even half as good as they looked, we're in for a treat." He smiled.

"Why didn't you eat some of them?" Jack asked him.

"I saved two, one for each of us," Will explained rather sheepishly, "but . . . well . . . you know what happened when I went to wake you up . . . "

"Oh," Jack said with a solemn look on his face.

Delvira's black eyes passed from one to the other as she wondered if they were having trouble in the bedroom. "Anything we can help with?"

"Huh . . . No," Jack answered. "We . . . just sort of discovered each other and didn't get around to anything before the Bog, food or otherwise. We'd better hurry. The crew are starving; they'll be like pigs to a trough!"

Will shook his head, remembering the lady he'd met earlier that day. "She certainly won't know how to deal with that."

Jack led the way as he almost ran to the galley. He had seen his men in a hurry before when it came to something good to eat and knew that they would not be thinking of anything but putting food in their stomachs. He hoped they didn't panic Miss Piper.

* * *

Shadows filled the sleeping quarters of the Sea Witch. The only light came from the flickering wicks of the lanterns that circled the tubs at safe distances. Four hands reached out from the shadows. Winks were exchanged as fingertips came closer to two pairs of slender shoulders. They could practically feel the women already, but it was then that the bells shattered the quietness. Tom released an alien curse before he could stop himself, and Morph's fist hit the air instead of grabbing his wife. "Not again!"

The Lewis sisters quickly dried the children and slipped them into clean shirts. Katrina had been surprised when she heard Tom almost on top of her; it was the first time he had managed to get that close without her total awareness of his presence. "Thanks, guys, for helping get the water. Maybe you should go and check out what we're fighting now? We've got to find somewhere to hide the kids so they'll be safe. We'll join you as soon as we can."

Tom glanced at Morph, knowing that his friend was barely keeping from bursting out from irritation, and quickly returned his attention to Katrina and Celina. He nodded. "See you above, love." Grabbing Morph's wrist, he pulled him with him towards the deck.

The very moment the men burst out above, Morph nearly exploded. "Damn it! We're never going to get them to ourselves today!"

Tom glanced at him. "I'm just as frustrated as you are, but they wouldn't like it."

"Just what the heck is going on?" Morph demanded, glaring out at their surroundings. The realization that the day was practically gone and they had yet to get any quality time alone with their wives did nothing to help his mood. "I don't see anything!"

Tom's keen eyes could not produce any sign of danger, either. He shook his head in confusion. "There isn't anything." It was then that he caught sight of Brendan flipping over onto the Witch. "Where's the emergency?" he called.

"Food!" the hungry Werewolf shouted back at him.

Tom shot the thought to Katrina even as he and Morph sped after Brendan.

* * *

Carrying the children, the Lewis sisters raced for the galley. Even if they didn't get something to eat, the children needed to be fed. Katrina noticed that the rest of the Pirates were also running for the galley.

* * *

Lex was lying, just holding Clark as his lover's head rested on his chest, when they heard the bells going off. "Damn! We're under attack!" he muttered.

Clark tensed. "The children -- " he started but stopped as quickly as he had began. His muscles relaxed as his ears caught Brendan's shout to Tom and Morph, and he couldn't help laughing.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Lex cried, worry sounding in his voice. Had Clark finally flipped? "Please tell me what's wrong! What's so funny?"

Clark turned his head so that he could look up into Lex's worried eyes. His own shone with merriment. "It's just the dinner bell!"

"Thank Gods!" Lex said, breathing an audible sigh of relief. "Let's go get something to eat. I can't remember when I ate last, and if you and I are going to have some more time together, I need something for energy."

Clark's eyes sparkled at that. "Then we'd better get moving . . . even if I would rather dine on your lips." He whispered the last part of his sentence against Lex's lips before taking his beloved's sweet mouth with his own.

Lex reluctantly broke off the kiss, pulling Clark out of bed. "We'd best go, or there won't be anything left to eat when we get there." He kissed Clark one more time before quickly pulling him along toward the galley.

* * *

Piper had still been gazing worriedly at the door when it suddenly flew open with such force that Joxer was thrown into the wall. "Sweetheart!" Phoebe screeched, trying to rush to his side but being unable to make it there for the Pirates that poured through the door. "Get out of my way!" she told them as she pushed against the sea of bodies.

"Watch it, bitch!" Faith snapped as she felt a hand push against her. "Touch me again, and you'll lose it!"

Phoebe ignored her as best she could as she finally broke through. "Joxer, are you okay!"

"I am . . . now that you're here . . . What happened?" He was still having trouble breathing from being knocked into the wall. "I've never seen anything like it!" he declared, shaking his head.

"That." Phoebe pointed to the Pirates that were converging on the table of food like vultures to carrion. Then turning back to Joxer, she reached out, took him into her arms, and cradled him.

Piper could not believe her eyes. She tried to back away, but at just that moment, an elbow collided with her breast. "Sorry," some one called to her even as Faith's mouth again flew open.

"Who the Hell left these here?" she demanded, picking up a pair of boots that she had tripped over, sending her sprawling into the man who had knocked Piper in turn.

"Huh . . . Me?" Crys quietly spoke up. "Sor -- "

"Well, watch where you strip next time, bitch!" Faith's eyes blazed at her even as she tossed the boots toward the blonde.

Piper had just been recovering her balance when a footless boot connected with her knee. She fell back a second time, but this time, she found herself unable to catch her balance.

Cole had barely shimmered in to a world gone mad when he saw Piper come hurtling back toward him. He managed to catch her. He yelled at the top of his lungs, "STOP THIS MADNESS! STOP BEHAVING LIKE PIGS!" His voice went unheeded. He was about to get on the table and yell again when Wolverine did just that.

Wolverine jumped onto the one of the eating tables and yelled, "YA SCURVY BILGE RATS, STOP ACTIN' LIKE ASSHOLES! THERE'S ENOUGH FOOD TO GO AROUND FOR EVERYBODY, AN' YOU'VE DONE HURT THE COOK!" He was even more furious with them than he would have normally been for he had heard Ororo's gasp and seen the emotions in her eyes when her goddaughter had been injured. "STOP IT AND BEHAVE OR YOU AIN'T GETTIN' ANYTHIN' TO EAT!"

Brendan looked up at Wolverine's yell. A surprised whimper came from around the chunk of cornbread in his mouth. Just what had happened? He hadn't noticed anything, only the food.

It was at that moment that Jack entered the galley. He was surprised at the chaos, never expecting his crew to act like animals. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!" he demanded. "THE NEXT ONE OF YOU THAT CHARGES THAT TABLE LIKE A MANIAC ISN'T GETTING ANYTHING TO EAT! THERE'S PLENTY OF FOOD FOR EVERY ONE, AND THERE WILL BE ORDER IN HERE OR YE SHALL WALK THE PLANK, SAVVY!" He glared around at all of them, embarrassed that Jareth should see this display of idiots.

To both Jack and Will's utter surprise, Jareth, having taken in the scene, threw his head back in deep laughter. He quieted when he caught their looks but explained, "I always thought goblins were the only beings to act like that around food."

"Apparently not, Jareth. Pirates do the same thing, too. You owe the cook an apology!" he said to the crowd. "The rest of you, get in line." He felt like a father having to scold children. "And, Wolverine, get off the table!" What in the Hell was wrong with them! Was everybody starving to death as badly as he was? Still, that was no reason for poor manners! He watched as the crew slowly got into line and turned baleful eyes on Piper, who was still huddled against Cole. Cole held on to her, not just because he liked the feel of her in his arms but also because he wanted her to feel safe.

Like the others, Faith had fallen into line, but unlike them, she had no intention of apologizing to any one. As it was, her anger had risen to such a point that she gripped the plate she held with whitened knuckles.

"Sorry, Miss Piper," the rest of the crew spoke as one. "We didn't mean to act so . . . "

"Churlish," Wesley interjected.

Piper was about to answer them, though she was still glad for the safety of Cole's arms around her, when a massive roar sounded, echoing in the still galley. "What the Hell!" Faith screeched, having found a lioness a mere inch away from her side. Her hand itched for her knife, but she knew the big cat would be able to lunge before she could. Besides, she didn't want to kill a cat. "Who brought this thing!" Cindy roared again and stepped closer to Faith.

"Faith, apologize," Angel told her. "The cat belongs to Crys, who you insulted."

"Like Hell!" Faith snapped, bringing yet another angry growl from Cindy. The lioness quickly closed the distance between the girl and herself, licking her lips as she did so. "Fine! I'm sorry!" Now even more furious, Faith turned. Slamming the plate down and elbowing past Jack, she stormed out.

Cindy started to follow, but Crystal's quiet voice stopped the lioness in her tracks. "Cindy."

As the lioness padded silently back over to her mistress and the crew breathed a collective sigh of relief, Piper turned her attention back to them. She was nervous about addressing them, but the reassurance of Cole's arms around her gave her the courage. "Thank you for the apology, gentlemen and ladies." She wanted to say more but held her tongue even as she wondered if they would like the food and hoped they would.

Jack picked up a plate and began to help himself slowly from the table. It all smelled and looked delicious. He walked over to the end of the empty table and sat down, waiting for the others to join him. He looked up at the line to see what was holding the others. Jareth and Delvira were headed toward him, but Will was at the end of the line. Jack did not like that. He thought he should have grabbed him and would the next time. He'd have to speak to Will. Will would have to be more assertive if he was going to take his place beside Jack in the men's eyes.

* * *

Prue had stationed herself beside the desserts to make sure that no one got into them before every one had a chance to have something to eat. She smiled at the men but continued to hold her wooden spoon. If any of them got after the pies, she'd hit them.

Brendan reached the end of the table only to find himself faced with pies that looked so delicious that they made his mouth water and the very woman who he had been trying to avoid and who now wielded a spoon as if it were a weapon. His eyes widened as he looked at her in innocent surprise.

"Doctor Richards," Prue addressed him, "you can't have pie until you've eaten everything on your plate. Pie is a reward for cleaning your plate." She smiled at him.

Her smile brought a faint smile to Brendan's own lips. "I assure you, madam, that will not be a problem."

It was then that a voice piped up from somewhere behind Brendan's knees. "That ain't fair!" Carl complained.

"It might not be fair, Carl," Prue returned, looking at him, "but there's enough pie to go around and unless I see a clean plate, you're not getting any." Secretly she planned to find out which pie Brendan picked; she was going to hide a whole pie just for him. "Now go eat your food like a good Gnome."

Carl glared up at her. "It better be better than Joxer's!"

"Don't look at me like that; I didn't cook it," Prue told him. "Piper did, and everything Piper cooks is a feast."

Brendan watched Prue quietly. "Did you not cook a single thing here, milady?"

"Yes," she admitted, her eyes turning back to his, "the cornbread. It's the only thing I know how to cook."

His smile dared to grow even as his eyes met hers. "I thought I smelled your scent on it, and it is quite delicious." His thumb brushed over what remained of his first piece of cornbread. The innocent motion sent shivers down Prue's back as she imagined his hand on her skin instead.

Behind Brendan, Carl rolled his eyes and, with a muttered oath, walked off. Werewolves in love! What was next! It was then that he caught sight of the redhead and nearly dropped his plate.

Paige was trying very hard to be a lady and not look at the Pirates as they trooped slowly by the table, but when her eyes finally caught sight of the little fellow, she knew any hope of maintaining her act was lost. She'd already had a Leprechaun and wondered how different a Gnome would be. There was one thing Paige would never go for, and that was an ordinary man. There had to be something mystical about them, or they simply weren't exciting enough to rise her blood!

Carl stared at Paige. Was she actually looking at him? He glanced behind him but didn't see any one.

Paige continued gazing at him, touched her tongue to her top lip, and licked it.

Carl barely managed to silence his groan even as he shot up. He started to hurry towards her but was stopped by a quiet voice. "Do you think she'd mind?"

"Huh?" Carl turned his head to find Hoggle looking at him with questions in his eyes. "She's not looking at you! She's looking at me!"

"Who's looking at you?"

"Paige!"

Hoggle shook his head. "Carl, I've told you before. If you can actually get them in the bed, go for it. But I was talking about the food."

"Oh." Carl glanced at Piper. "Well, you could go ask her."

Prue had overheard their conversation and told Hoggle to get a plate and that the food was for everybody. Her eyes glanced over toward the table where Jack sat with the King and Queen. "Maybe you'd better hide under the table with it," she suggested, "to save the fireworks display?"

Hoggle nodded. "That's a good ideal, ma'am. If he knows I'm getting to eat as well as he is, he'll send me right back to that awful Bog!"

"I should hope not," Prue whispered back to him. "Come on the back side of the table; he won't see you there."

The cousins were grinning as Hoggle eagerly trotted after Prue and Carl continued on toward Paige.

* * *

Jack closed his eyes as he savored the first bite of his bourbon chicken. He had had it once before and thought it heavenly, but this was even better than that time in France. He chewed quietly and only opened his eyes when he felt some one standing beside him. Had Will finally got there? He glanced up to see Crys smiling down at him and holding a tray. "Ma'am?" he asked.

"You forgot your drinks, Captain," Crystal told him politely. "Would you prefer coconut or vanilla?"

"Gods, that's a hard decision! Can I have one of each? Maybe you could leave one of each for Will, too, if it wouldn't be too much trouble?"

She nodded and was setting the drinks down even as Will's name tickled a memory in the back of her mind. "That wouldn't be the gentleman with the donkey, would it?"

"Yes, ma'am, he does own a donkey. In fact, it's the only donkey aboard, and that's him," he said, pointing at him with his fork. "The man at the _end_ of the line. I'm going to talk to him about that," he reminded himself.

Her gaze followed his gesture, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise at the realization that he had been the one she had used the crystal to heal earlier that day. "Thank you, Captain," she managed to speak, returning her attention to Jack but not without a silent reminder to herself that she'd have to have a word with the lad later. "I hope you'll enjoy your drinks. I realize they're a bit . . . unusual, but the rest of the crew seems to like them." She could not help smiling at the memory of how her treats had been taken to.

Jack took a sip first of the coconut and then the vanilla. The tastes seemed to agree with each other, and he looked up and smiled at Crys. "Maybe you could mix the two? They taste great separately, but I think they'd taste even better together."

"I'll try that next time, sir."

"Thank you, Miss Crys."

She nodded and turned her attention to Jareth and Delvira. Blue's wings shifted warningly from where he sat on her shoulder, reminding her of her manners. "Your Majesty," she spoke, first addressing Jareth, "which would you prefer?"

"Could I perhaps have two, one of each?" Jareth asked. He had been fighting desperately not to swallow his food whole. It was better than anything he'd ever eaten, and he wanted it to last for he was afraid there wouldn't be seconds.

"Of course, Your Majesty." She set two in front of him before turning her attention to his wife. She studied her pale skin and the signatures she picked up from her before asking quietly, "You need something a bit . . . more special, don't you?"

Delvira returned the blonde's intent gaze. How did she know? she wondered even as she nodded. "If it would bother you, however, I can have Hoglet fetch me some."

Crys shook her head. "Not at all, Your Majesty. I'll return shortly." With that, she stepped backwards away from the table and, keeping her back as much pointed towards the wall as she could, headed back to the counter where Lorne and Angel awaited her. Looking first to Lorne, she told him, "We're going to need about three more."

"Sure. No problem," said Lorne.

"Sis," Angel called to her, "I'm about to go up and watch the deck for a while. I wish I could partake of this feast, but you know I can't and it bothers me to watch the others eat it. Besides, somebody needs to keep watch. If you need me, just call up."

She nodded in understanding, wishing simultaneously that there was some way that he could enjoy human food. "Would you mind sharing a bit of your blood?" she whispered to him. When both men looked at her as though questioning her sanity, she quickly explained, "It's not for me but for the Queen and her sister."

"No problem," Angel replied. "I'll show you where it is. I brought it over so that it would be closer for you to make me some treats. I didn't tell Miss Piper, though. You might want to break it to her. It's in the cooler."

"I'll fetch it, and thanks." Turning back to the drinks that sat on the counter, she lifted the only red one and handed it to him.

Angel downed it in one gulp. "Thanks," he told her with a grin. "Remember, if you need me, call." He was gone like a flash.

* * *

Walking above deck, he noticed that no one had stayed. The others were all in the galley. He wondered where Cordelia had hidden herself this time as she had not been in the galley. He glanced toward the sky, and the sunset took his breath away. There had been a time when he had not been able to even see a sunset, but now he could walk in the full light of day. He was thankful for that. He stood and watched as the sun faded away and then continued to walk around the deck, checking everywhere that he could think of where Cordelia might have hidden.

It was then that screams met his ears. "GET OFF OF ME!" "WHAT ARE THESE THINGS!" "I DON'T KNOW, BUT," there were sounds of something being hit, "THEY'RE NOT GETTING MY HEAD OR YOURS!"

What the Hell! he thought even as he flew to where he heard Cordelia's and Elizabeth's voices coming from. In the darkness, his eyes could still make out something bouncing around the two girls and making grabs at them. There seemed to be a lot of them. He grabbed the nearest one and threw it into the others. "What the Hell are those things!" he asked.

"I don't know." Elizabeth shook her head, but where she answered him, Cordelia did not even look at him. She slipped behind the blonde instead but did not dare to run yet as one of the creatures launched itself straight at Angel's head.

"Yo, man! Take off your head!"

"Yeah!" another chimed in. "Let's play a game!"

"You play a game and get back to your ship before I call for Jareth! Do you really want to see him right now? And leave the women on this ship alone! What's wrong? You don't have any of your own?"

"Aw, come on, dude!" one of the flying heads called, its ears flapping wildly to stay in the air. "We just want to play!"

"Then go play with yourselves! None of our heads come off, and none of us want to play with you! I'm counting to three, and then I'm calling Jareth. One . . ."

The creatures did not yet scurry, but they stilled considerably, huddling together instead. "You know he's liable to throw us in the Bog for this one," one whispered.

"Two . . . "

"If he doesn't, his crazy bitch of a wife will barbecue us instead," another put in.

"Do I need to say it?" Angel asked, his narrowed eyes intently gazing at them.

"You're no fun!" one pouted.

"No, he's not," another agreed, "but I'm not sticking around here!" His departure led the others, but the last one could not leave without first giving Angel a raspberry.

As soon as they were gone, Angel turned back to the ladies. "Sorry about that. Jareth does what he can to make them stay on board. I heard him threaten them. I knew all I had to do was mention him to them and they'd take off." He didn't admit to them that he was extremely relieved that they had because he had no clue how to destroy them. He didn't think that biting their necks would do anything to them, and when he had grabbed one and threw it, it had seemed to be nothing but feathers and a beak.

Neither woman answered him. Instead, Elizabeth looked to Cordelia who, without a word, turned and walked away as swiftly as her legs could carry her. Having sensed her new friend's tears, however, Elizabeth turned back and promptly slapped Angel.

"Hey, what's that for?" Angel demanded. "What did I do to injure you?"

"Me, nothing!" Elizabeth snapped, her eyes blazing up at him. "Do you really need to ask, though? Don't you think we saw you with your little blonde, you . . . you . . . ?" She ground her teeth together, unable to think of an insult that would actually fit.

"That's my sister!" Angel exclaimed in disbelief that being with Crys had caused Cordelia to think he was doing something else. "Wait, Cordy!" he called after her. "It's not what you think it is! I've been looking for you all day," he called out to her, "but I can't just shirk my duties! I am the First Mate. Whatever Jack gets into, I have to accompany him. If he has a busy day, then I have an even busier day, and this has been one Hell of a day! Please come back!" He continued walking in the direction she had ran, following her scent.

The last thing Cordelia wanted at that moment was to face Angel. So what if he was the First Mate? That still didn't explain his closeness to the blonde. He claimed she was his sister, but he had also told her that his family was dead. Suddenly, she found herself in front of the railing. She whirled back, hearing his voice coming even closer, and turned to run in another direction only to be met with a wall.

Good, Angel thought to himself. She's boxed in. Maybe now she'll listen to me. "The lady you saw me with today is my adopted sister. She's in love, even though she won't admit it, with Lorne. He's the green Demon that Crys' wolf bit in the butt today. Honest, I swear, she's my sister! I know you don't believe me, but I really did want to be with you some today. Circumstances just wouldn't let me be. It's been an awfully long day, and it feels like forever since I kissed you. Believe me, I wanted to come back and do more of that if you wanted it. I didn't know how you'd take it. After all, we had just met." As he came up to her, his voice softened, "And I also didn't know how you were going to take what I told you earlier. The people on this ship are my family. We've adopted each other, some of us even more than others." He let his voice trail off, hoping she'd talk to him.

Cordelia kept her back to Angel even as he came so close that she could nearly feel him. Silent tears shimmered in her eyes. Was what he was telling her the truth? Had she so completely misread what she had seen earlier? If the woman was his sister, that would explain their closeness. Brothers could kiss their sisters on the forehead, couldn't they, she reasoned silently, especially when they were as distraught as Crys had been? His duties would have kept him away. That was true enough, and she certainly knew about busy, duty-filled lives. After all, wasn't that what had kept her mother from ever realizing what her father was doing to her? But what if this was a new pack of lies? Could she really trust him? Was there any man alive who could be trusted?

Her silence bothered him. He could tell she was crying, and he was never very good with crying women. He reached out and gently touched her hand, pulling her around to face him. "If you want to slap me, go ahead," he said, "but please at least talk to me." He lifted her hand up to his lips but kissed her wrist instead. "I am sorry for making you think all these bad thoughts, but honestly, I did not intend them. If we are together, there will be many days when I will not be able to see you except for brief seconds. It doesn't mean that I don't want to be with you."

Though a feather of pleasure splintered her insides, racing through her with all the swiftness of the wind, she still hesitated. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to his and studied what she saw in his mesmerizing depths. They seemed to shine with truth, but did she dare believe him? "If . . . If this Crys is your sister, what was she so upset over?"

"She wants to run away and hide, because she fears that Demon we fought earlier today. He is seeking her out, and she fears that all who she cares about will be killed by him. You must keep this to yourself, Cordelia. She is really scared. That's why she tries to keep Lorne and me both away from her, but it's not going to happen. I want you to meet her, but don't say anything about what I told you. Please?" He pulled her closer to him, hoping she wouldn't resist. He longed to seek the nectar of her lips.

Cordelia shook her head but did not resist him. "I won't," she promised. "So your blood family is . . . as you told me, but the crews are your adopted family?"

"Yes. My blood family. It happened just like I told you. Jack will tell you the same. He is the only one aboard that really knows my entire story, but if I ask him to, he will tell you if you don't believe me. There's not a member on this ship except maybe Autolycus that I haven't claimed as family, but now there's you. I don't want you to be my adopted family. I want you to be more."

Gods knew she wanted to be and that she ached to melt against him yet still the nagging questions of her mind persisted. "But why?" she asked him, her voice a breath of a whisper. "Why do you trust me when we just met today? Why . . . Why do you want me? We barely know each other." Why did _she_ want _him_? Why had she let him kiss her and already ached so much to taste him again?

"I don't know the answers, my darling. I just know that when I met you, it was as though my soul was complete for the first time. You filled an aching loneliness that had driven me crazy for so long with just one little touch of your sweet lips. It is as though we were together before, yet I have never met you. I want you to be with me." He sniffed her hair and nuzzled her neck.

Cordelia could not help but to smile and sigh in pleasure for not only did she feel the same but his touch was driving her wild with desire. Still, she tried to hold on to her senses. She had not been taught to behave like this. She had been taught that a lady would never allow a man to take such liberties with her, let alone be so close to him when she barely knew him . . . Yet she felt like she'd known him her entire life, and hadn't the ones who had taught her such also been the ones to completely destroy the life she had known? Perhaps it was time she stopped listening to society and just listened to her own heart?

From somewhere in the darkness behind Angel, a certain being unseen by both smiled. "That's right," She whispered to Cordelia. "Listen to your heart. Brains are only pesky things that get in the way."

Angel knew that if he did not take Cordelia to the galley, things could easily get out of hand. He would not fight both her and himself. He could easily fight himself, but if Cordelia began to melt into him, there would be no stopping until they were one. He stopped nuzzling her hair. "I want to take you to meet Crys now and get you something to eat. You have not eaten all day," he gently chided her.

Her stomach rumbled at the thought of food and she blushed lightly, hoping that he had not heard it. "Not yet," she whispered to him, her hand gently touching his cheek. She pulled her head back so that she could look into his eyes again. "I'm sorry, Angel."

"Don't be, my sweet darling," he said even as he gazed down into her eyes, feeling himself lost more by the minute. He lowered his head and gently took her lips. One taste went straight to his head and loins. He pulled her closer to him, feeling the heat from her body surging through him.

Even as desire swept through her, causing her body to melt into his, Cordelia returned Angel's kiss. Her lips parted under his as she dared to deepen their kiss. Her fingertips ran up into his hair.

Watching the two, Aphrodite smiled. "It's about time . . . "

Light clapping suddenly sounded, causing all three to whirl toward the sound only to find Elizabeth smiling at the couple. "I'm glad there's at least one man still left in the world who isn't a jerk and that you have him, Cordelia."

Angel was glad for the reprieve. He had been about to pull Cordelia up into his arms and do a naughty, naughty thing as all thoughts of fighting his urges had left him and only one thing remained in his mind -- taking Cordelia to his bed. Thank the Gods, he thought, for if he had done that, she would have hated him in the morning! He knew he had to woo her slowly.

Cordelia smiled at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. She did not appreciate her interruption but knew it was for the best. Angel had melted her completely with just one kiss, and had they not been interrupted . . . She shook her head. She had to be a lady; she would not allow her mind to wander down such paths.

Aphrodite glared at Elizabeth. "I'm going to have to do something about you." She then blinked out.

Angel scooped Cordelia up and carried her high against his chest. "We are just on our way to the galley," Angel told Elizabeth. "Our new cook has prepared a feast, and I want both of you ladies to be able to enjoy." He strode off toward the Witch. As he reached the railing and took a rope, he told Cordelia, "I can't hold you and swing over, so I want you to put your arms around my neck and hold on tight. Don't let go for anything. Wrap your legs around me."

Cordelia could not help shooting Angel a look of shock at his last statement, but Elizabeth quietly assured her. "He's right. I know it's rather . . . scandalous behavior, but it's the only way."

"I'll come back for you in a minute, Elizabeth. Don't try to go over by yourself; it's dangerous unless you've been doing it a long time, and believe me, it's a long way down to the water. There's no telling what's down there in the dark," he stressed that part.

Elizabeth shuddered but nodded her agreeance even as she watched Cordelia carefully move to Angel's back. Cordy's hands slid over Angel's muscles, and the feel of them shot thrills through her. She inhaled deeply even as she wrapped her legs around him. Gods, how the feel of his body went straight to her core!

He quickly swung over, dropped lightly to the deck, and waited for Cordelia to slide down his back. The heat from her was driving him crazy, and he almost lost his control as he felt her bosom press against his back. What he wanted to do most was to turn around and dive deeply into her, but he knew he could not. "Back in a minute, sweets," he told her even as he felt her slide the rest of the way down his back. He did not dare to even kiss her but swung immediately back over to Elizabeth. "Hang on tight, Elizabeth, and don't let go. You can close your eyes if you need to."

"In . . . In a moment, Angel. I . . . want to apologize first. The blonde's new. I haven't seen her before, and after seeing you so close with her, even hugging her and kissing her forehead, and Cordelia telling me that you had kissed her earlier today . . . " She looked helplessly up at him. "What else was I to think?"

"It's okay, Elizabeth; I forgive you." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "I can't tell you all of what I'm feeling, but what I do feel is scaring the Hell out of me. I can fight an entire army and not be even as near as scared as I am now. Cordelia burns me with her mere look, and I want her so badly that I'm burning inside. No woman's ever done that to me before, and I have had plenty of women in the past."

Elizabeth nodded. Though she was not about to touch the latter part of his admission, the rest of his words about the feelings between Cordelia and he reminded her of Will. She fiddled with the engagement ring she had yet to give back to him even as she told him softly, "I understand at least some of what you are feeling. I . . . I felt the same with Will. I only hope that the two of you will find and _keep_ happiness."

"Thank you, Elizabeth, and thank you for being her friend. You'll find the right man one day. I know about the secrets with Will. I know you two broke up, and I know why. Neither one of them were aware of each other's feelings. Will tried desperately to love you, because he thought it was the right thing to do. We can not always dictate what our hearts feel, and it's not right to be with the one we don't really love. Most often, we don't even find the one we really love. It scares me that I have found such a jewel as Cordelia. I hope and pray she feels the same way about me. Thanks again." He broke off, not wanting to be so open. He didn't know rather or not to trust Elizabeth, but he didn't want her sad. "Grab a hold. Here we go," he said as he felt her climb onto his back. Seconds later, they were on the Witch, and he began to escort both of the ladies to the galley.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	35. Chapter Thirtyfour

**Chapter Thirty-four**

Jack sat, watching Will slowly making his way up the line, and played with his food. He wanted to march up to the table and break line with Will getting a plate. He did not want to eat the delicious food and not have some to eat while Will was eating. He gazed longingly at Will, and his mind went back to earlier when they had almost had a few stolen moments in his cabin. He felt Jareth's eyes on him, and he looked at him. "Just waiting," he explained why he wasn't eating his food.

"I understand," Jareth acknowledged. "What I was wondering is if there will be seconds?" Jack gazed down at Jareth's plate and saw that there was not a crumb on it. The King lifted his shoulders into a shrug. "I can not tell you how long it has been since I have had good food. Actually, I can't even remember it myself."

Jack asked him, "Doesn't the Queen cook? You said you ate goblin food. Doesn't any of your goblins actually cook well?"

Jareth shook his head. "Trely cooks as well as she can but is hindered by her own tastes." He glanced at Delvira to make certain that she was not eavesdropping, then leaned over the table to whisper to Jack. "Delvira cooks wonderfully in the bedroom, but that is all. She has attempted it, but that is one thing that even her sister, Elvira, can do better . . . And _that's_ even taking into consideration that the last thing Elvira cooked attempted to eat her instead."

"What!" Jack nearly shouted. Lowering his voice back to a whisper and ignoring the curious glances that shot his way, he repeated, "It tried to eat her! What was it?"

Jareth leaned back in his seat, his mischievous gaze meeting Jack's calmly. "A casserole."

"Oh my Gods! What is that?" Jack asked. Even the name sounded awful!

"Normally, it's just a dish, but this thing had hands and a mouth."

"What did you do with it?" Jack was sure that even though he had not said so, Jareth had had to deal with it.

Jareth glanced at Elvira, who was making her way through the line alongside Wolf, before looking back to Jack and whispering his response. "She still thinks that she managed to handle it, but it was a good thing that I was checking in on her at that moment. I saw the . . . situation through my crystal ball and sent two of my goblins into the drain where she was pushing it." He grimaced. "Only one returned."

"Where is the thing now?" Jack questioned.

"Long dead," Jareth quietly assured Jack.

It was then that Elvira's voice broke in. "What are we talking about, boys?"

Jareth looked up in surprise, but Delvira quickly covered for them. Looking at Wolf's pants, she noted aloud, "I see you're wearing a different pair already."

"Yes, ma'am," Wolf said and smiled at her. "Your sister has a penchant for popping pants." He sat his plate on the table and then turned to pull a chair out for Elvira. He slipped it under the table as she sat.

Delvira winked at Elvira. "She's not the only one."

As the two women burst into a fit of giggles, Jareth warned Wolf, "Remember to buy yourself as many new pairs as you can afford." His free hand reached out to gently caress Delvira's. "We went through twenty just last week."

Wolf shook his head. "I don't have that much money. If she puts too many holes in them, I'll have to wear them anyway or she'll have to sew them up for me."

"If she's as . . . talented as her sister, there won't be much to sew."

Will, having just taken the seat beside Jack, thought it best to interrupt the conversation before more innocent ears overheard them. Looking to Jack's nearly-full plate, he asked him, "Why aren't you eating, love?" The word felt wonderful on his tongue, and he smiled at his beloved.

"I was waiting for you, sweetheart," Jack said, liking the sound of that word. "Why didn't you just come where I was? I didn't realize until I was through the line that you had gone all the way to the end. You were with me; you could have stayed there." He looked questioningly at Will. "The Captain and any of his company have first rights on the food."

Will cocked an eyebrow at Jack. "_Any_ of his company?"

"But of course, darling. You're not only my company; you're my life. Next time, let me know. Never go to the end." He looked at Will as though he could eat him if given the chance.

"I didn't know," Will defended himself, "and besides, I'm used to going last."

"Never again, beloved," Jack reassured him. "You'll always be first." He wanted to reach out, kiss Will, and go to wherever that led them but knew he'd have to sit there and finish his meal. Although it tasted wonderful, it was just one more hindrance between him and Will. He tried to send all the love he was feeling in his look to Will even while his hands longed to caress him.

Will's pressed lips silenced his sigh. Gods, how he wanted to reach out, touch Jack, and take his lips with his own!

"Boys," Delvira told them, "you can't do that at the table."

"But," her sister slightly disagreed, "if you want to kiss, go ahead."

Even Jareth couldn't help smiling. "No one's going to eat you."

Crystal silently placed Delvira's, Elvira's, and Wolf's drinks onto the table. She did not speak for she did not want to interrupt the moment and wished Jack and Will the best even as she slipped just as quietly away. She hoped Wolf would like what she had chosen for him as she had not been able to ask his preference.

His eyes still locked with Will's, Jack used a fork and picked up a piece of the bourbon chicken. Taking the fork to Will's mouth, he held it temptingly in front of his lips. Will's eyes never moved from Jack's as his lips slowly took the piece of chicken from his fork. He chewed it quietly and swallowed quickly but then leaned over to Jack. "I'm not afraid of being seen with you," he whispered so that the only normal ears that should have been able to hear him were Jack's.

Jack whispered back, "I just didn't want to embarrass you, love. I didn't know how you'd take it."

In answer, Will brushed his lips softly across Jack's. Jack pulled Will to him in a gentle embrace and deepened the kiss. After several minutes, they released each other reluctantly and forced their attentions to turn back to their plates though both burned desperately for each other.

* * *

Autolycus had been relieved to find that Xena was no longer waiting for him. Turning to the frightened girls, he declared, "Ladies, we must get off this awful ship at once! Why, your very lives are in danger, not to speak of your virtue!"

Where the blonde gasped, the redhead asked, "What virtue?"

"You are aboard The Sea Witch, and a most terrible, awful Captain wishes your presence at once! Why, she might even feed you to the sharks or she might just let her crew have their way with you! I can't remember the last time we were at port!" He gave the redhead one of his most charming smiles even as the blonde screeched in fear. His mustache hid the grinning corners of his lips as the latter clung to him.

"Wait a minute," the brunette spoke up slowly, looking at him. "The Sea Witch? Isn't that . . . the sister ship to . . . to the . . . the . . . Black Pearl?"

"You bet it is!" Autolycus said with a shake of his head. "And what her crew doesn't do to you, the fearsome Captain Sparrow will!"

"You are so full of dung!" the brunette exclaimed, causing Autolycus' mouth to drop open in surprise. Turning to the blonde and redhead, she told them, "He's the one after your virtues! There's no safer ship out here than the Pearl!"

"What's a . . . virtue?" the blonde gasped out, her pretty forehead creased with confusion.

Autolycus was taken aback at the brunette's words and then the blonde's question but quickly recovered himself and shut his mouth. He was not expecting the question, so he chose to ignore it. Instead, he quirked an eyebrow at the brunette. "What do you mean -- the safest ship? Haven't you heard? The Black Pearl is a _Pirate_ ship! It rapes, pillages, and plunders in every port or as the occasion may occur!"

The brunette was now staring at the mustached man, her hands defiantly placed on her hips. "It may be a Pirate ship, but -- "

Before she could continue, the redhead put in, "Do you really expect us to believe all that? You guys are the ones who rescued us!"

"So that they could have their way with you!"

"And what about you and your way with us?" the redhead countered. She glanced at the blonde who was still upset over the virtue issue, "And, honey, you ain't had any virtue in so long that you wouldn't recognize it if it stared you in the face! It's nothing to worry about. But, _you_," she glared back at Autolycus, "you're a Pirate!" She pushed angrily at him. "You just want to steal the money and run!"

"And us too!" the brunette chimed in. "Not all Pirates are bad, but you know what?" she asked the other girls. "I thought I knew this idiot!"

"How do you know me?" Autolycus asked. "You know of my reputation?" He twirled his mustache.

"Save it," the brunette snapped, knowing that he believed his mustache to be one of his many attributes. "I know that you're one of the scurviest members of these crews! You're the one that'll steal anything from anybody, _and_ you're the one who can't cook to save any one's life!"

"That hurts me to the heart, ladies!" he cried, clasping a hand to his heart in mock pain. "If you want to stay here and be pillaged and plundered, I'll leave you here."

"You're not going anywhere," the brunette told him, "and neither are we!" She then called out at the top of her lungs: "ANGEL!"

Autolycus' mouth fell open again. How in the Hell did she know Angel! He had to get away! If Angel caught him, one glance would tell him that he was trying to run away with the women and loot, and he'd deliver him straight to Xena!

"ANGEL!" the brunette repeated even as the redhead attempted to grasp Autolycus' hands and still his retreat.

The blonde just stood and gazed at him, not knowing what to believe. The brunette, seeing the look on the blonde, paused a moment to explain, "I know these ships. Angel's one of the best men I've ever met. He'll keep us safe, but we can't trust him," she jerked her head toward Autolycus, "with anything!"

* * *

Angel's feet had barely touched down on the Witch with Elizabeth when he heard his name frantically called. What in the Hell was Dawn Summers doing there! She should have been safe and at home on Tortuga! How could she have gotten aboard the Witch? "Excuse me, ladies; I'll be right back," he told them as he reached out and gently caressed Cordelia's chin.

Elizabeth and Cordelia exchanged a glance, then followed right behind Angel. Cordelia had no intention of letting him get out of her sight again, and Elizabeth was simply curious.

Upon reaching the group, Angel gazed at Dawn's face. He could tell she was upset but did not expect her to run into his arms. "Dawn, what are you doing here?" He could not believe that the trembling girl had grown so much since he had last seen her and was now no longer a child but a beautiful young woman.

As Angel's arms went around Dawn in a reassuring hug, she knew she was truly safe at last. Her tears instantly began to wet his shirt. "Oh, Angel, I'm so glad you're here! They -- They sold me -- and then -- then he wanted us to run away with him!"

Angel's eyes went immediately to the only other male in their group. "Autolycus, what are you trying to pull? I thought you were told to report to Captain Xena?"

"I did. Now I'm leaving."

Angel placed Dawn behind him, who was immediately surrounded by the redhead's arms. Angel faced Autolycus. "I don't care if you leave, but you're not taking the women or the loot," he added, noticing the bags. "I would suggest that if you leave, you hide yourself, because Xena's going to find you and when she does, you know what she'll do."

When Autolycus made no move to give Angel the bags, Angel reached out and snatched them from him. He handed them to Cordelia. "Keep them for me while I deal with him." Even though Autolycus struggled, Angel picked him up as though he didn't weigh anything and carried him to where he last saw Xena, the women following behind them.

Reaching the galley and kicking the door open, Angel continued until he dropped Autolycus in front of Xena's table. "I caught him attempting to steal both the women and the loot." He placed his boot on Autolycus to hold him down. "May I suggest that he be made to walk the plank?" He looked hopefully toward Xena.

She sat in stunned silence for a moment, scarcely believing that Autolycus had dared to defy her, but also knowing that she could not kill him for old times' sake. She didn't know what had happened to him, because he had, at one time, been a good friend. However, he now operated as though he were a couple of screws short of a load. She glanced at Gabrielle, hoping that she would have an ideal.

Gabby's understanding gaze met Xena's worried eyes. "He deserves worse. He _wants_ to leave. Walking the plank would let him do just that, and knowing his scurvy butt, he'd sneak aboard Jareth's ship instead of drowning. I suggest the hold. We could keep him shackled there until we hit land."

"So be it," Xena announced, glad that Gabrielle had so quickly came to her aid, and motioned to a couple of her crew members who rushed forward and snatched Autolycus off the floor.

They wasted no time in dragging him out the door and down to the brig. Although Autolycus tried to worm his way out of their clutches, he soon found himself in the chains and all alone in the dark where he could hear the sounds of several somethings gnawing and claws skittering across the wood. He prayed the rats wouldn't eat him and that they were just rats and not some other kind of monster that had found its way onto the ship. Could it be goblins instead, he fretted, having came from Delvira's Delight just to devour him?

* * *

The girls stood trembling before Xena, the redhead's arms still not leaving the youngest girl's shoulders. Xena took in their appearance and gasped when she recognized the young girl. "Dawn? What are you doing here?" Xena asked.

Dawn glanced at Angel. At his nod, she turned her shy gaze on to the Captain. "They . . . they sold me," she whispered in a near whimper.

"Well, you're not a slave here, and neither are the other two. I'd like to know your names, and then you can get a plate and get something to eat. You're now members of my crew as long as you want to be."

With an understanding nod, the redhead spoke. "My name is Linda, and thank you, Captain."

"J-Jasmine," the blonde spoke up, her voice quivering.

"It's nice to finally meet you ladies, and, Dawn, even under the circumstances, it's good to see you again." She looked around for a moment and finally spotted the one she was looking for. "Simon, I want you to be in charge of taking care of the ladies. Make sure they get food and somewhere to sleep. If you need anything, let Simon know. You can trust him. He'll take care of you."

The old man smiled at the ladies. "Come this way, ladies," he spoke softly to them as he ushered them toward the table. Linda and Jasmine followed without hesitation, but Dawn lingered behind.

"D-Does that mean I don't have to go back home?" she queried, her voice quivering as she looked hopefully but frightfully at Xena. "Ever?"

"Only if you want to, Dawn. You're more than welcome to stay on the Sea Witch."

"Then I want to stay," she told her with a quick, decisive nod. "Mom and Buffy . . . They're . . . They're the ones who . . . who sold me . . . "

Xena and Angel were not surprised though the others next to them -- Gabrielle, Cordelia, and Elizabeth -- all were. "I'll take care of them when we get to Tortuga. They won't bother you again." She smiled at her. "Now go get some food."

Angel reached out and took Dawn's hand. "If you need anything, Dawn, be sure to let me know. I want you to meet two ladies -- one's a friend and . . . the other one holds the key to my heart," he finally managed to get out.

Dawn couldn't help a small grin at that. "I always knew you could do better than Buffy."

"Even a frog may kiss a Princess," Angel replied as he reached out and placed his hands over Cordelia's hands. "Cordelia, this is a kid who's now grown up into a woman, and I hardly know her anymore. She's always been like a little sister to me. Dawn, Cordelia. And this is Elizabeth." He gestured respectfully with his head to the blonde who stood next to Cordelia.

Dawn could tell from the way Cordelia and Angel looked at each other that it was definitely love, and she was happy for them.

Cordelia had to tear her eyes away from Angel's to look at the girl. She could hardly believe that her own mother and sister had sold her, and her eyes were saddened by that thought as she looked down at her. "Dawn, I hope we can be very good friends in the future, and . . . I'll be here if you ever want to talk." Her eyes shone with sympathy as she gazed down into Dawn's watery eyes.

"As will I," Elizabeth chimed in. She, too, was saddened by the thought of what such a young girl had been put through.

Dawn nodded. "Thank you . . . " She glanced back at Xena so that the Captain would know she included her, as well. " . . . all." She struggled against the tears that came to her eyes. She was finally safe!

Xena smiled at her before turning her attention to what Cordelia held. "Are those for me?" she asked.

"Yes, those are the bags Autolycus took," Angel answered her.

Cordelia had been about to glance at Angel for affirmation when he answered the Captain. She quickly handed the bags over to Xena.

"We should be reaching the chapel by day's break. Keep one of them and send it at dawn's light to Father Wagner." She handed one of the bags to Angel. "One day we're going to have to dock and meet him personally. He does such good work to help all of us. I'd truly like to meet him. Thanks, Angel."

There was a smaller bag that fell from Xena's hand. "This one belongs to Captain Jack; I'll give it to him. Have fun," she said with a smile at the group. She got up and headed toward Jack's table.

* * *

Jack had not been paying attention to the commotion at Xena's table. His eyes had been locked on Will's, and they had been watching each other eat and wishing that they were eating something else. Jareth and Delvira had been watching them and were still grinning from ear to ear when the other Captain approached.

Xena dropped the bag beside Jack's plate. "This belongs to you. I gave Angel one of the other two bags for the Father."

"Good," Jack said, never taking his eyes off of Will.

Jareth looked up, clearly surprised. "You donate to a Priest?"

"Every time we make a haul, we give the good Father a percentage. He's one of our charities. He does a lot of good work to help all of our people."

"Like what?" Elvira, who had exchanged a curiously worried glance with Delvira, spoke up. "I mean, really, how many Christian Priests are you going to find who wouldn't condemn this entire lot?"

"He's not Christian, but he is a Priest, one of ours in hiding. We haven't actually met him. Awareness of him came from a friendship, but he's always helped, in every way that he can, Pirates, Vampires, Werewolves, Lesbians . . . They're all the same to him. If they need help, regardless of who or what they are, he helps them."

"A wonderful man," Jack had to agree, still not taking his eyes off of Will.

"Oh, for Gods' sakes, Jack, get up and take the boy to your cabin! You'll have all of us wanting each other!"

Jack shook himself and looked up at Xena, a rueful grin on his face. "Sorry. Didn't mean to upset the rest of you."

"You didn't, Captain," Elvira told Jack even as she crept a hand underneath the table. Hidden from the others' sights, she reached out and squeezed Wolf's sword through his pants even as she winked at him.

Wolf almost jumped out of his hide at the unexpected touch and his quick reaction.

Xena looked at Jack. "That's what I mean, Jack. You've got the whole crew worked up, and some of them don't have anybody. Go to your cabin!" She turned and walked stiffly back toward Gabrielle. "Gabby?" she called when she got there. "Cabin."

Gabrielle, who had been watching Xena's every move, nodded. She stood to join her, and the two left without a further word.

* * *

Jareth, meanwhile, was grinning. "I must say that your people definitely know how to put downtime to good use!" As Wolf had done seconds before at Elvira's touch, Jareth now jumped as he felt Delvira's sharp fingernails graze his tight pants. "Not in front of everybody, sweetheart!" he gently scolded his wife despite his increased grin.

"Why not, Hot Stuff?" Delvira returned with a lustful growl. Her fingernails carefully kneaded Jareth's pants, and he had to reach a hand underneath the table to still his wife's.

Will glanced at the couple, then quickly looked back down at his plate. A deep crimson still stained his cheeks.

Jack was not embarrassed, but he felt for Will. He had not meant to embarrass him. He realized Will was a virgin, never having known a woman or a man, and that what would ensue if they did go to the cabin would probably embarrass him further. He wasn't sure how to proceed. He reached down, gently caressed Will's hand, and smiled at him.

At Jack's touch, Will again lifted his eyes. This time, he gazed back into his beloved's. "I'm not embarrassed by us," he told him even as his fingers entwined with Jack's. "I'm just not used to . . . everything else." He tried to grin sheepishly.

"You will be in time, but don't feel sorry about being embarrassed." Jack continued to hold Will's hand. "Some people are more sexual than others. I've been around it all my life; that's why I'm not embarrassed. You don't want to know some of the places and things I've seen. When I was your age, I had seen and done most of it, even things I didn't want to see or do, but that's in the past and this night starts our lives anew. We'll find love together," he whispered next to his ear.

To any one looking, it would have seemed that Jack was nibbling Will's ear, but instead their whole conversation had stayed so that only Will and very sharp ears could hear it. There was no way to keep secrets from ears as sharp as some of the crew members'. "I find your innocence to be very refreshing. I am glad that you're not jaded. Maybe we should go to the cabin so that we can talk more in private, or we can stay for the festivities?"

"Festivities?"

* * *

Prue had heaped food upon Hoggle's plate. She had thought that it was probably more than the little guy could handle, but he had cleaned it up promptly and was now looking up at her. "We're not ready for seconds yet. I'm not sure if every one's eaten or not, but if they have, we will have some seconds."

Hoggle shook his head, and his politeness as he spoke surprised Prue. She had never thought such a creature as he could be so polite. "Madam, as delicious as the food is and as much as I would love seconds, I was actually thinking about some one else. This food is the best I've ever had; in fact," he admitted, "it's the only good food I've had my entire life!"

Prue looked at him in disbelief. "You've never had food this good? Piper will love to hear that!" she said, looking toward her sister.

"Madam, the things I've had to eat in my life are not worthy of being talked about in lady's presence."

"I don't want to know," Prue said with a shake of her head. She looked back at Hoggle. "You had a question?"

He nodded. "I was hoping to invite another friend to eat? He's still over on Jareth's ship. I don't understand the guy. I think guarding the Bog his entire life has made him go nuts, but he's a good fellow, a Knight, and I think he'd love the food."

"Ask him, but do it quietly so as not to draw the King's attention." She was thinking to herself, He's a Knight! Surely he must be normal! Was he cute? He might suit Paige far better than that Gnome. She was happy that Phebs had already found what she thought was her true love, even if it was Joxer. Piper had Cole, and she hoped to have Brendan. So that only left poor Paige out. A Knight would suit her youngest sister perfectly!

With a quick nod and a, "Thank you," to Prue, Hoggle snuck out. Standing on deck, he gazed toward Delivra's Delight. "Sir Didymus!" he whispered in a loud whisper, knowing fully well that Didymus could hear him. "Come quietly!" He grimaced, realizing that there was no way in Hell that Didymus would be quiet. The Knight simply didn't know the meaning of the word. He didn't know which one could bark the loudest -- Didymus when he was angry or Ambrosius when he was scared.

It took him several minutes, but Didymus finally managed to get his steed to make the jump from one ship to the other. After landing, he gazed intently at Hoggle. "What do you want, Hoggle?" he questioned.

"Great food for you! In there!" He pointed to the galley. "But you have to be quiet about it! Jareth's in there!"

Sir Didymus looked down his nose at Hoggle. "I am always quiet as a mouse," he informed him in contempt, "unlike _some_ that I know." He referred to the countless times that Hoggle had made loud noises. "It's Ambrosius that doesn't want to be quiet. He wants the whole world to know that a glorious Knight has arrived and that he is his mighty steed!"

"Yeah, sure," Hoggle grunted as he waved his hands dismissively at him. "The fact remains that you'd better be quiet or Jareth will send you back to the ship without food -- _if_ that's all he does!"

"Ambrosius," Didymus was already having trouble with him as he would not go forward but steadily backed up, "go forward!"

"Right through this door!" Hoggle called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the door and quickly hid himself behind Prue's long skirts.

"Ambrosius, I said go forward!" The sheepdog whimpered. Didymus thrust his cane into the air. "Go forward or there shall be no supper for you tonight!"

* * *

Cole looked anxiously around the room, noticing that many of the Pirates were still sitting in place and wanting seconds. "How many plates do I need to make for us?" he asked Piper.

Piper scanned the galley, considering. She saw Prue still guarding the pies and noticed that something seemed to be clinging to the back of her skirts; she also saw Lorne and Crystal still finishing the drinks for the girls. Her eyes even fell upon a young man hiding in the shadows. She looked at him in surprise, not having noticed him before during the bustle. "Six. No, wait, best make that seven. There's also that rude girl from earlier."

Cole went immediately and began to make their plates. As the first one was finished, Piper picked it up and headed for the boy. He was about to slip further into the shadows when she reached out and grasped his wrist.

Dawson gasped. He had not realized that any one had seen him, but he had not been able to fight the delicious smells of the food any longer! He had not eaten all day and was starving. His frightened eyes met hers. "Please don't reveal me," he begged. "Don't let her know I'm here."

"Who?" Piper queried, her brow creasing.

"Faith," he simply stated, his eyes imploring her for the food even as his stomach rumbled.

"If she's the dark-haired girl with the filthy mouth, you have nothing to worry about; she already stormed out. Regardless, you need to eat." She had just started to hand the boy the plate she had brought him and Prue had been about to ask Hoggle what his problem was when the doors burst open.

Didymus finally had Ambrosius going full sped straight into the galley! He aimed for the wall behind the table and was flung over Ambrosius' head when his steed came to a skidding stop. Food, glorious food, sat out all around them, and Didymus, forgetting himself in his hunger, sat up barking.

Hoggle clutched his forehead and groaned behind Prue, but Prue handed a plate to Didymus. "Sh!" she reminded him, but it was too late.

"Didymus," Jareth called, "what are you doing here?"

Prue spoke up before any one else could. "I invited him, Your Majesty. I hope it was okay," she flashed him one of her best smiles.

Piper quickly thrust the plate at Dawson as she looked over at Prue and the scared -- dogman? -- and then back over at Jareth, who appeared to be glowering at her sister and the fellow she had invited. "What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Piper questioned, her voice tight. "Do you not think my food worthy of your crew members?"

"No, ma'am, I think my crew's not worthy of your food. I can't take them anywhere and expect them to behave. I did not want to bring their unworthy hides aboard and have them do something to disgrace me and appall you. They're here; they can stay _if_ they behave themselves. Your food is the best I've ever eaten! I salute you, madam. In fact, I would like to ask a favor of you. I have an unworthy, lowly female who is one of our closest servants and needs training. I will pay you handsomely if you will train her to cook."

Piper stared at Jareth in surprise, unsure of what to say. Normally, she would not ask to be paid for cooking lessons, but she had heard Hoggle talking to Prue, though neither knew it, and wished to leave an open invitation to the lot of them. However, at the same time, she could not help remembering that, though she was the cook, the galley was part of a ship that did not belong to her. She glanced around the room but could not find Captain Xena anywhere.

Dawson had heard the entire conversation, as had the rest of the galley. "Ask Captain Sparrow," he whispered to Piper. "He owns both ships. Captain Xena is just the Captain, not the owner of the Witch."

"Thanks," Piper whispered out of the corner of her mouth. She did not know if the others had spotted the boy yet but did not wish to bring their attention to him if they had not. Her questing eyes turned toward Captain Sparrow who sat across from Jareth. "Captain?"

Jack was totally lost in Will and did not hear any of the conversation that was going on. He failed to hear Piper call him, so engrossed was he upon Will's eyes and the daydream that he was living in the moment.

Captain? Tom's voice inside Jack's head interrupted the other man's thoughts. We have a situation here.

"What?" Jack said, snapping his head around to look at Tom questioningly.

Tom pointed a finger toward Piper and another at Jareth.

"Did I miss something?" Jack asked, concern on his face. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "My mind was not here."

Tom could tell from the look in Piper's eyes that she was still quite upset and at a complete lost as what to do. Madam, he thought to her. The surprise of his voice in her head made her jump; wild eyes flashed around the galley in search of the speaker. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, but I can tell you're in quite a fix. If you'll allow it, I can open a link between your mind and the Captain's. That will allow you to ask him whatever it is you're thinking.

I -- I am hearing you, aren't I? I -- I haven't finally lost it?

Tom couldn't help a grin and a twitch of the tip of his tail at that. No. Look at me; I'm the catman. I'll wink my right eye three times. Piper nodded slowly as her baleful eyes turned to look at the orange catman. Tom's right eye winked once . . . twice . . . . three times.

At least I'm not insane, she thought to herself, not realizing that Tom, too, could hear her.

May I, madam?

May you what? she asked, still confused.

Link your mind with the Captain's so that you might have a word with him in private? Although if I were you, I'd make it a bit quick; Jareth looks like he's getting ready to explode.

She gulped and nodded once, granting him her permission.

Tom quickly turned his mind to Jack's. Captain Sparrow, Miss Piper needs you, but I don't think Jareth's going to want to hear whatever it is she has to say. If you'll grant me permission, I can link you two so that you can talk as we are now.

Go ahead, Tom, and thanks, Jack answered him with a mere thought. No matter how many times Tom had spoken telepathically to him before, he could never get quite used to it. He saw Katrina looking at her husband with a curious look on her face.

Katrina wondered what the heck Tom was up to now. What kind of trick was he playing? Then she realized that he was not tricking but being very serious as she watched the reaction of Jack's face. She made eye contact with the Captain once and then returned her attention to her food. Whatever it was, Jack was not mad at Tom, and that was all she was concerned over.

Cole finished fixing the last plate and looked worriedly at Piper who stood as though she was in a trance. He was concerned that she had not answered the King yet and was prepared to do battle if necessary to keep her safe. He set the plate on the working table.

It's done, Jack and Piper heard Tom's voice announce simultaneously within their minds.

You needed me, Miss Piper? Jack queried.

Piper's thoughts came to him in a rush. Didymus' entrance angered his King. Prue invited him, and there's another in here that he wouldn't want, I believe. Any one's welcome to partake of my food, Captain, and poor Hoggle! I heard him say he's never had good food before, _never_ in all his life! Jareth wants me to teach one of his goblins how to cook! I don't mind that and don't usually ask for payment though he's offered! And I'd like for them to be able to eat when they can. Not the Goblins or those other things. I know that would be asking for trouble, but what's wrong with Didymus and Hoggle? Don't they deserve good food?

Now, Miss Piper, Jack thought to her, hiding a smile, calm yourself. I'll speak with the King. Hold on. Let's see what his reaction is.

Jareth, who had stood and was now staring holes into Piper who looked quite like a trapped rat, heard Jack speak his name. "Sit down, Jareth. You make me nervous. I'm already nervous enough. I can't find any more rum."

"Miss Piper has two conditions for teaching your servant. One, that any members of your crew who can behave themselves might be allowed to come for meals freely, and two, she wishes to keep the payment open for now. She does not know how much to charge and might would like a future boon of something else. She is more than willing to teach any one who wants to learn to cook."

Jareth sat and looked at Jack. "How did you get all that from her with one look?"

"She and I can read each other's thoughts." Jack did not elaborate.

"Delvira and I can do that," Jareth said with a knowing nod, "but not until we were one. Shouldn't you have that with Will?" A look of confusion crossed his face.

Jack finally came up with, "She's my sister. Will and I have not had that pleasure yet, although I hope it will be soon." He smiled at Will before looking back at Jareth.

"Thank you, Miss Piper." Jareth again got to his feet, but this time, not in anger. "Any that you wish from my crew may attend freely and partake of your food. I only have one I wish you to train, and I will gladly grant your request later."

Piper nodded, fighting to keep her quivering to her insides only. "You are quite welcome, Your Majesty, and thank you." And you, Captain, she thought to Jack. And you too, Mister Ballard, if you can still hear us.

Of course I can, the catman grinned, and it's Tom.

"Why are you grinning so sheepishly, Tom?" Katrina asked him. "What did you just do? Are you making Jack angry again?"

Thank you, Tom, Jack's voice whispered in his mind. I'm not angry any more about the rum; I understand. Are you happy aboard the Witch?

Tom's grin grew as he answered Katrina. "Why, milady wife, I've done nothing but save a damsel in distress."

"What damsel?" Katrina demanded.

"Miss Halliwell -- er, Piper," he clarified, remembering that there were four of the women. He reached over and lovingly cupped her cheek. "But you will always be the only woman in my heart." He brushed his lips adoringly over hers even as he thought back to Jack, It is not the same, Captain, but it does allow my wife to be with her sister. Then including Piper in his thoughts, he continued, You are both welcome; I'm only glad I was able to keep us from having to deal with a pissed-off Jareth. I don't think that's a sight that any of us want to see.

I agree with you, my friend, and you thought I had a hot temper! I've never seen one with a hotter one than he has except Faith!

Maybe we should lock those two up together sometime?

Tom! Piper admonished. They'd kill each other!

Yep, Jack agreed. Kill each other and destroy the ships.

Tom rolled his shoulders in a shrug. It was just a thought. He paused before asking, Shall I break the link now?

Yeah, you better, Jack said. My mind's on Will again. It might shock you.

Me? Impossible! Tom thought back. But there is a lady present. With that, he ended their three-way link.

* * *

Lex looked over to Tom. He had realized there was something going on but had no ideal what. Perhaps Tom had been playing with Katrina under the table as he wanted to do with Clark but had not been able to as the children were sitting between them. Julian and Sarah had both fallen asleep, and he had barely managed to snatch the plates out from under them. Clark looked as though he could eat two more plates, but he knew that Faith had not had a single thing. He had not even seen her. He looked over at Tom and Katrina again. "Thanks, Katrina, for taking care of the children."

"It was my pleasure, but there's something wrong with Sarah's voice. I didn't know what it was, but I tried to heal her and it didn't work. You need to get Doctor Richards to check her out."

"I had noticed that," Lex told her, "but I thought perhaps it might be shock. We don't know everything that happened to the children. I hope that there's not anything seriously wrong. Thank you for trying. Have you seen Faith tonight?"

Tom nodded. "Yeah. She's just as bitchy as ever. She almost tangoed with the lioness."

"Over what?" Lex asked. "Didn't she want to eat supper?"

"She tripped over Crystal's boots. Don't ask me what they were doing in the middle of the galley floor; I don't know. What I do know is that she threw them at her, accidentally hit Piper, didn't apologize, warned Crystal to -- well, I believe her exact words were 'Watch where you strip, bitch'."

"Oh no! I know that didn't set well," Lex said. "What happened then?"

"Well, everything was going nuts, and Jack demanded an apology from the crew because of the way most were acting in trying to get to the food. You know we haven't eaten anything decent in Gods only know when."

Lex shook his head. "I imagine she took that pretty well, didn't she?" His sarcasm was obvious.

Tom grinned. "You know Faith." He paused, then added solemnly, "And it gets worse."

"How much worse can it get?" Lex queried.

"Well, as I said, she almost tangoed with the big cat, Cindy I believe. Right after the rest of us apologized, Cindy roared a warning at Faith. She wanted an apology and was going to attack her if she didn't get it."

"Who gave up first -- Faith or the cat?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Faith actually gave up and left? I'll never understand her," Lex admitted.

"She actually apologized," Tom informed him, "but we all know she didn't mean it."

"Faith never apologizes," Lex commented.

"She did that time," Morph put in from where he sat on Tom's other side.

"So things calmed down? Faith ate and left?" Both men were shaking their heads, and Lex stifled a sigh.

"She stormed out," Tom explained.

"Didn't eat a bite," Morph added.

"Thanks, guys; I'll take her a plate."

"Watch yourself when you do." Morph grimaced. "I still remember the time I pissed her off." He shifted in his seat. "And the pain."

"Yeah, so do I. You couldn't walk for a week," Lex remembered.

"My butt was totally done in," Morph agreed.

"One day, that wild temper of hers is going to get her into trouble, and I only hope that I'm there to bale her out," Lex said. He looked over at Clark. "I'm going to get a plate and take it to her; then I'll be back to get the kids to bed. If they go for seconds, get me some."

"Of course, love, but like the guys said, watch yourself. She already wasn't in a good mood. Who knows what she's doing now?"

"Looking for a fight," Tom and Lex spoke as one.

Lex walked over to Piper. "Can I have a plate of food for Faith? I heard she showed out earlier and didn't get anything to eat. I'm sorry."

"There's no reason for you to apologize for her antics," Piper assured him. "Though, if I may ask, what is wrong with that girl? I've never known any one to behave like she does!"

"Her life hasn't been easy. She's been hurt so many times it's not funny, and she won't let anybody get close to her. She's all full of hate and anger, but yet she still has a softer side. She just won't let any one see it. Her motto is 'Get them before they get you'."

"Even with those who'd like to be her friends?" Piper asked, her eyes searching Lex's.

"Even with those. She keeps me away and only sometimes lets me near but never close. I think the cats are trying to get close to her too, and she fights them harder than she does even me. It would be so good for her if she'd just let one of us in!"

As she talked with Lex, Piper's mind went back to the boy. Could he be another who was trying to help her? She'd find a way to catch him later and talk to him. Leading the way over to the working table, Piper picked up a plate and turned to hand it to Lex. "Good luck with her."

"I'll need that, Miss Piper, and thanks for the food. I'm not going to give up on her. There, but for Gods' grace, go I except that Clark saved me. Clark loved me enough to fight my evil side and to chase it away. I could be Faith. Thank the Gods for Clark." He glanced back over at Clark who sat patiently waiting for Lex's return. "I know I don't deserve him, but I am so thankful for him!"

"I . . . I am glad Clark and you found each other," Piper told Lex, somewhat unsure of what to say, "and I do hope that some one can reach Faith." She wondered silently if there might be anything that she could do.

* * *

Lex headed out the door in search of Faith. He had not gone very far when he heard a voice and recognized it as belonging to Salem. "There! Finally there's some one else out here! Have you seen Faith, Luthor?"

"No, I've been looking for her, Salem. Have you seen her, and have you eaten?"

The black cat shook his head. "I've been trying to find her ever since she stormed out, but her smell's all over the ship. It's not exactly easy to find her with this breeze screwing with everybody's smells and those goblins' stinking."

Lex glanced over at Delvira's Delight and could see bobbing lights jumping up and down. "Don't they ever slow down?" he asked.

"Not that I've seen, but a word of advice?" Salem quirked his eyebrow up at Lex as he padded beside the man. "If you see something orange and it asks to play with your head, run the other way."

"I have not had the displeasure of meeting any of those yet," Lex replied. "I take it you have?"

Salem nodded. "A long time ago."

"What are those things?"

"Fieries."

"You mean Faeries?"

"No," Salem shook his head. "I mean Fieries."

"What exactly are they? Some type of goblin?"

"I think they're some type of Goblin, Fire Elemental, and Demon crossed." Salem made a face. "Not a good mix. They love fire, taking off body parts, and playing games with them. Theirs can come off, so they figure any one else's can too. They're not exactly the world's smartest creatures." He sniffed disdainfully. "Actually, a post probably has more brains."

"I was surprised to find you out here. I figured you'd be with Jareth. Aren't you two buddies or something?" Lex asked.

"Remember when I told you that I was cursed to be a cat because of trying to take over the world?"

"Yes."

"Jareth was my right-hand man."

"Good Gods! He was cursed too?"

"Yup." Salem's tail swished.

"So what's his story? He's the King of the Goblins? How's that a curse?"

"He was trapped in the labyrinth for years and, I'm sure, still has to spend most of his time there. He's got to deal with the Goblins, the Fieries, the Bog, and Gods only know what all else. Plus he has to deal with the stupidest bits you'll ever come across."

"Sure wouldn't want that job! I don't like bits . . . much. They want to run their hands all over you, and you can't get away from them. So what kind of dealings does he have with them? He's married, isn't he? Doesn't his wife have something to say about that?"

"He doesn't have a choice," Salem explained. "Acting the part's all part of his curse."

"Acting what part? Come on, Salem. Be truthful; quit beating around the bush. What does he do -- sleep with them?"

Salem shook his head. "They're made to think he's in love with them. Every one has some kind of kid sibling that they're wanting to get rid of. They call him. He has to whisk the baby away to his castle at the center of the labyrinth and tell them that everything he's doing is because they've asked for it. They have to find their way through the labyrinth and always end up finding out exactly what they're made of and saving the baby." He shook his head. "It's a shame, really. If he could just manage to keep one of those kids, he could make him the next King and be free!"

"Damn!"

"Yeah."

"That would be a nightmare in itself!" Lex exclaimed. "I'm thankful I'm not in his shoes. All those bits! How long has he been doing it?"

"About two hundred years."

"Good Gods! How many more of those working with you got caught?"

"Most of them, and all but one was cursed." Salem's green eyes glowed in the dark of the night as he glared over at Lex. "All because some stupid newcomer turned us over to Drek."

"Who was that?"

Salem paused in mid-stride. "Lionel Luthor. Your great-great-great grandfather or some such."

"I always knew my family wanted to take over the world and cause total annihilation to every one who stood between them and their goal, but I never knew this story. You would have thought Lionel, my Father, would have gloated over it! He was a jerk, if there ever was one!"

Salem shook his head. "He doesn't know. They wiped that Lionel's mind clean."

"There have been crumbs that long ago in my family! Then I guess I really am the only good one! I owe that all to Clark," he mused, deep in thought. "Shall we be friends, Salem?" he asked as he leaned down and offered his hand to the cat. "Can you ever forgive me for my ancestor's screw-ups?"

"Son," Salem purred, "you're not your ancestors, and besides, everybody screws up. Take it from the original screw-upper." Nonetheless, he placed a paw in Lex's outstretched hand.

"We shall band together and save Faith even against herself," Lex declared, glad to have an ally. "She's one tough cookie to crack."

"You can say that again . . . " Salem had been about to continue when his voice abruptly trailed off. He sniffed the air.

"What is it?" Lex asked even as he heard soft sobs that were barely audible. That couldn't be Faith . . . could it?

"Blood," Salem stated. "Faith's blood." He darted off with Lex right behind him. Their hearts pounded in their chests as they ran as if their own lives depended upon their reaching her.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	36. Chapter Thirtyfive

**Chapter Thirty-five**

Salem lead the way to where Faith stood in a secluded area of the ship, her back to them. The moonlight gleamed on something silver that she clutched in her hand.

"Damn!" Lex muttered so that only Salem could hear. "She's got a knife; be careful. Faith, are you out here?" Lex called aloud.

"Go away, Luthor," a growl came in response.

"Are you going to tell that to me too?" Salem asked, leaping up onto the railing.

"What the Hell do you two want?"

"I just brought you some food, Faith. I thought you might be hungry, and I didn't see you at the galley."

"I'm not hungry," she muttered.

"Gee, that's a shame," Lex called back to her. "The food's great! I'd hate for it to go to waste."

"Eat it."

"Why can't you eat it? I did bring it all the way out here, especially for you. The least you can do is eat some of it."

Faith did not answer Lex at first, but Salem, sneaking his way along the railing as the shadows clung to his ebony fur, could see her face. Its sight almost stopped his heart. Tears streaked down her cheeks, intermingling with blood. She pressed the knife's blade harder against her cheek. "I didn't ask you to."

"What are you doing with the knife, Faith?" Lex asked. He could see that Salem had gotten into a good position.

"Why does it matter?"

"It matters to me. You're my friend."

"I told you. I don't need any fucking -- "

"Yes, you do, kid," Salem whispered, launching himself for the knife. He'd meant to take it from her hand, but she struggled.

"What the Hell's your problem! So what if I want to cut myself! It's working, so leave me the fuck alone!" Salem's claws dug into her skin, and his mouth went for the handle of the knife. She tried to shake him off again, but as he started to lose his grip, the knife's blade sank into the side of his body. Simultaneously, she tossed him behind her and whirled to face them, tears and blood running down her face.

"Stop her . . ." Salem managed to whisper, but his voice gurgled. It was only then that Faith saw the cat's blood.

"OH MY GODS!" Lex hollered, dropping the plate of food and rushing to Salem's side. He could see the blood come gushing out, and he tried desperately to stem the tide. "Don't just stand there, Faith! Get help!"

Faith was shaking, her mind caught up in memories and the sight of the dying cat before her. "NO! NOT AGAIN!" She did not even realize she was yelling or that her tears had increased tenfold as the knife slid from her hand and dropped to the deck. She rushed forward to join Lex and tried, with her bare hands, to stop Salem's bleeding. She had cut a huge gash in his side, and even then, by the light of the moon, she could see blood trickling from his mouth. "GODS, NO! NOT AGAIN! KATRINA! ANY LEWIS! DAMN IT, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE! KATRINA!" She did not have the first clue as to what she was screaming. She only knew that Salem was dying because he had tried to stop her from hurting herself to forget the pain in her heart, that another cat was about to die . . . all because of her again . . .

Katrina's head snapped up, and her eyes left her husband's. "Faith is screaming my name; I must go to her." Jumping to her feet, her hand was clasped by Cole's who shimmered her immediately to Faith's side. His startled eyes were met with blood that seemed to be coming from everywhere. He backed up, allowing Katrina room to do her magic. Katrina's hands went into the cat's fur, searching for the wound, and she closed her eyes, concentrating on the healing.

* * *

Celina saw Morph and Tom jump up to run after Katrina and Cole, but her reasoning voice made them pause. "I'm not sure that would be a good ideal. She's calling for Katrina, and you know how Faith is -- " Her voice broke off as she saw every one else racing from the galley, the food completely forgotten. "To Hades with it!" She flew from her seat, and the boys followed just as swiftly.

Dawson led the group without even realizing what he was doing. All he could think was that Faith was in trouble and she needed him. He almost flew to be by Faith before warning bells started ringing in his head. Jack had told him to hide. If he came out now, all would be over, but he desperately wanted to be with Faith. She needed him! The Hell with it! He'd hold her even if she killed him afterward!

Blood seemed to be everywhere. Faith was bleeding; Salem was bleeding. The only ones kneeling there not bleeding were Lex and Katrina. He knelt down behind Faith and touched her gently. He knew she could not see him and was surprised to find her shaking. He heard some one else ask what happened. Lex said, "It was an accident. Salem fell on the knife." Lex saw the boy kneeling behind her and touching Faith; he recognized him at once but did not say anything.

Jack heard the words "the knife" and did not ask, because he knew what Faith had been up to. He had caught her at it before, and they had had a really big blow-out. What surprised the heck out of him was Dawson kneeling behind Faith. She had but to turn and look and then she'd know it was him. Had he lost his mind?

Will reached out and grasped Jack's arm, stilling his beloved before he could go after Dawson. "Look at his eyes, Jack," he whispered to him. "He's in love with the girl. You wouldn't want any one to make me leave your side; don't do it to them."

Katrina continued to rock, words coming from her lips in a language that no one but her sister and husband could understand. She could feel the healing begin, and a blue white light leaped from her very being and engulfed Salem.

Faith, shocked at the display, pulled back. She could feel comforting arms around her and, for once, did not fight them. Instead, her tear-filled eyes remained glued to Salem. She was still shaking as her words tumbled out over themselves in a quiet mantra that only those closest to her and with advanced hearing could hear. "Not again. Not again. Not again." She continued to repeat the phrase.

Salem was totally unconscious and would have been surprised at how many people cared enough to hover close by him. Even Jareth knelt just outside of Katrina and Lex, his eyes focused on his old friend. Delvira kept a gentle, staying hand on her husband and felt his pain as if it were her own.

Questions kept tumbling out of people's mouths, and every one was looking around for a suspected knife. Those who knew Faith and her penchant for trying to destroy herself kept their mouths closed as to what could possibly have occurred but still kept their eyes open for the knife. Wolverine found it first. He dragged it back with his foot slowly so as not to cause any attention. As soon as he could reach it, he picked it up with his fingers and slipped it into his pocket. He had been down that road and knew what would happen if one of the others, not aware of what was going on with Faith, had discovered the knife. Faith was many things, but Wolverine knew she was not a monster. He knew she had not intentionally hurt Salem. He would keep the knife and give it to her later, maybe having a chance to talk to her.

The blue light disappeared after having lifted Salem, turned him every which way but loose, and then gently deposited him back on his feet. A loud voice interrupted the group. "WOW! I'll have whatever he was drinking!" Donkey, having finally found a way aboard the Witch, chimed in. He had been both surprised and relieved to find the ice bridge still standing although it had melted as he had walked across it, and he had barely managed to make it to the Witch. Relief flooded the crowd as they slowly began to make their way back to the galley. Just what had occurred in the dark, most of them would never know, but a few remained.

Jack stood, looking down at Faith, who still had not raised her head. Dawson continued to hold her, surprised that she did not try to break his arms off of her. Jareth had moved closer to Salem; he reached out and stroked his head.

"Whew! What a ride!" Salem quipped as he came back to. "Man, do I have a headache!"

"It's a good thing you only have a headache, my friend," Jareth said. "I believe you have lost one of your nine lives and would have lost the other eight if not for this woman."

Salem's eyes traveled up Katrina until they met hers. Green eyes met green eyes, and Salem found his voice, thanking her. Katrina smiled at him. "Any time, Salem, but please try not to fall on things again."

"I . . . will not fall again," his voice falteringly spoke. He would not reveal what had happened.

Faith had not dared to lift her eyes to meet any one's until that moment as she slowly raised her haunted eyes to Katrina's gaze. "Thank you," she whispered, and for once, she whole-heartedly meant the words.

"You're welcome, little one. Any time you need me, just call." She smiled at her and then backed up, turning and walking quickly back to the galley followed by Celina, Tom, and Morph who had not said a word.

As Katrina walked away, Faith found herself looking at Lex. Lex looked steadily back at her. "You want that food now? You'll have to come to the galley and get it." He looked sadly over at the plate whose fallen food had been walked all over.

Faith continued to stare at Lex for a moment before murmuring softly, "If you're there . . . "

"Yes?" Lex asked.

Slowly, Faith reached up a hand to touch her still-trembling fingers to Dawson's hand. She turned even more slowly to see who was brave enough to hold her and whose arms she had not fought when she should have, and her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Hi, Faith," Dawson said in a quiet voice. He didn't know what else to say. He was expecting her to lash out at him, both with her mouth and her hands.

"Dawson." His name was but a breath from her quivering lips. "You're supposed to be dead."

"No, I'm not," he said. "Just not here. The Captain told me to get, but I didn't get. I don't give up that easily, Faith. I love you, and one day, you're going to believe me. In the mean time, I'm only going to stay as far away as you make me stay. I want to be there for you when you need me."

"I don't need any one." Even she could hear the blatancy of the lie she spat as she snatched away from him. Whirling to her feet, she turned to look at Jack. "You told me you took care of him!"

"I did! I told him to leave. I thought he was gone." He had his fingers crossed behind his back the whole time, hoping he would not get struck by lightning for his lies.

"You're a smarter Captain than that!" she hissed at him. "You know damn well to make sure to follow orders instead of just telling some idiot boy who thinks he's in love because he finally got between some bitch's legs -- "

Dawson looked intently at her. "Faith, aren't you glad to see me? Even a little bit?"

Faith snatched around to glare at him. "Why the Hell would I care if you're here or on the moon?"

"You must have," Will spoke up quietly.

Jack thought, Oh my Gods! Now she's going to attack Will! Poor boy! He'll never know what bit him!

"And just what the fuck makes you think that!" Faith demanded, her eyes nearly cutting Will in two.

He smiled calmly. "Because otherwise, you wouldn't be so angry or so adamant to keep him -- "

"Go to Hell!"

Jack reached out and took Will by the hand. Moving his mouth close to Will's ear, he whispered, "Go back to the galley and wait for me. All Hell's about to break loose. Hurricane Faith is about to unleash."

Will's eyes solemnly met Jack's. "I belong with you. Call it mutiny if you want, but I'm not following that order."

"Figures," Jack said, nodding his head. "You mutiny, and I can't do a damn thing about it."

"Faith?" Another voice spoke up.

"What the fuck do you want, Virgin Boy!"

"You're bleeding . . ." Brendan started.

"Hell yes, I'm bleeding, and everything would've been just fine if those two idiots," she seethed at Lex and Salem, "hadn't tried to stop me!"

"From what?"

"From forgetting the pain! Like it's any of your damn business! Now get the Hell out of my way, or I swear I'll send you to fuck Davy Jones!"

All eyes turned to watch as she stomped away, and a collective sigh of relief broke out. Jack looked at Will again. "I don't believe you just did that. The woman is a nutcake! She could have torn you limb from limb! Leave it to you to spit in the eye of a hurricane!"

"As if you were not going to try to talk to her?" Will countered, looking Jack directly in his eyes. "You have to learn, Jack. I love you, and no matter the danger, I'm going to stand beside you or die trying."

"I love you, too, Will, but if I ask you to go, please go or at least give me enough room so that I can defend us. I can't fight if that would put you in danger, savvy?" he asked, gazing into Will's eyes.

"Funny," Will replied. "I thought I had the upper-hand in our fight?"

The rest of them laughed at Will's words. "Sorry, Will, but none of us have ever been able to beat Faith and until some one does, she'll never change."

Will's eyes turned in the direction the girl had stormed off in. "That's not what she needs," he spoke softly. "What she needs is love."

"But as long as she spits in the face of love, she'll never get it," Jack spoke sadly. He knew that that was what she needed, too, but he had also come to realize that she'd never stop fighting it. He was relieved that she had not cut him into little pieces and was expecting to hear more on the situation later.

Dawson looked at Jack. "I'm sorry, Captain. I just couldn't stay hidden. I heard her scream, and I had to go to her."

"I know, Dawson. I understand," Jack said as he gripped the boy's shoulder in a gentle squeeze, "but it's not over yet. Watch yourself."

"I will, and I won't sleep in the sleeping quarters where she's at but I will be close."

Salem and Jareth were sharing a close moment and renewing their friendship. Faith's words about her bleeding had made Jareth realize what had truly happened, but Salem's quick thinking and talking had persuaded his friend to stay. They, too, began to make their way back to the galley where seconds were being passed out. Quickly grabbing their plates, the returning group also got refills.

* * *

Upon returning to the galley, Angel smiled at Cordelia. "Time to meet my sister, sweets. Are you ready?"

Cordelia gazed up at him even as she wondered about the blonde she had seen him with earlier. Was she still having such an emotional fit? She glanced at where she stood with Lorne and breathed a silent sigh of relief as the other woman appeared to be calm again. She nodded to Angel.

Taking Cordelia's hand in his, he led her across the room. He smiled rather sheepishly at Crys. "Sis, I want you to meet Cordelia. Cordelia, I want you to meet Crys. I hope the two most important women in my life can become friends?" he asked hopefully.

Lorne looked at Angel in disbelief. Was Angel only wanting Crys as a sister? He breathed a sigh of relief; he wouldn't have to fight him after all! "Don't forget me," he said.

"Sorry," Angel apologized. "This is one of my best friends, Lorne, and, Lorne, this is Cordelia." He looked around for Elizabeth so that he could introduce her, as well, but she seemed to have disappeared. He had no clue as to where she had gone, but as his eyes swept the room, he finally spied her sitting and eating alone.

The men's continued talking was barely registering on the women's ears as they stared at each other. Crystal's eyes were wide and frightened as she gazed at Cordelia, knowing that the last thing she needed was another "friend". Cordelia's eyes had been drawn away from Crystal to the dragon that sat perched on her shoulder. Hearing a low growl and not realizing that it was simply a word of assurance to Crys, Cordelia jumped as her eyes flew to the wolf and lioness that stood beside Angel's sister.

Angel reached out and stroked each of the animals on the head. "Cordelia, this is Elvira," he said, introducing the wolf. "This is Cindy," he continued, indicating the lioness. "She hates men." Yet even as he said those words, he wondered why she allowed him to pet her but was relieved that all his fingers came away intact. "And this little fellow," he concluded, moving his hand to Blue, "is Blue. Spoiled rotten, he is." He waited for Blue to get onto his hand.

Blue looked up at Angel in innocent surprise. "Coo?" he asked, meaning Who, me, even as he hopped over to Angel's hand.

Despite her instant fear at the sight of the dangerous animals, Cordelia could not help a light laugh at Blue's response to Angel.

Angel brought Blue slowly toward Cordelia. "You can pet him, if you want. He likes to be scratched on his head. Elvira is gentle and may allow you to pet her, if you ask her. They are very smart and understand everything you say. They are Crys' babies and protectors."

Though she was now smiling, Cordelia's movements were still hesitant as she reached a hand out toward Blue. The dragon's eyes looked calmly into hers. Still, she inhaled deeply and did not dare to breathe as she touched his scales and slowly began to move her hand in a gentle scratching against the top of his head. Blue cooed at her touch, and the next sound that came out of him surprised her even more for had she not known better, she would have sworn he was a purring cat!

"Shall we join Elizabeth?" Angel asked. "I believe you three have not eaten."

Crystal blushed as the memory of what she and Lorne had gotten into earlier came to her mind. For the first time since Angel and Cordelia had joined them, she spoke. "Lorne did manage to get me to eat a little earlier."

Elvira looked up at her mistress and growled softly, informing her that that little bit was not nearly enough sustenance.

Crys' eyes turned toward the ceiling. "Don't start," she told the wolf to which the lioness growled.

Cordelia, watching the three, could scarcely believe what she was seeing. Though she could not understand them, she still had a good idea of what they were up to. Her eyes shimmered as she looked to Angel for affirmation. "They're taking care of her, aren't they?"

"Trying to," Angel agreed with a smile.

Lorne had disappeared but now returned with a tray that had three plates on it. "I think joining Elizabeth is a good ideal," he said even as he carried the tray toward the table, confident that they'd follow him.

Cordelia's eyes turned after Lorne. Though he was the strangest being she had ever seen, she did not feel threatened by him and could sense that she could trust him. She shook her head in slow amazement. "You really do know some fascinating beings."

"They're my family," Angel said simply. "Ladies?" he indicated that they should follow Lorne.

Lorne had now sat each of the plates down and had returned for the drinks. He hoped Angel would join them but feared that he would not be able to watch them eat and would leave. In any case, it would be a good chance for Cordelia and Crys to get to know each other and one more ally in helping them to keep Crys there.

Cordelia stood, looking down at the plates in a mixture of worry and confusion. "There's only three."

Crystal had already been taking a seat, but her eyes lifted in concern to Angel as she heard Cordelia's stated observation. Obviously, the girl still didn't know what Angel was.

Angel was quick to reassure her. "I've already eaten, sweets. I'm actually on guard duty, but since it seems to be a quiet night, I can remain a few minutes." He pulled the chair out for her.

As Cordelia sat, she looked up at Angel. "Did you get enough?"

"I believe I did." He smiled. "I hate I have to return above deck, but when you finish eating, you could always come up and join me."

She nodded. She wanted to be able to go with him but knew she would not be able to finish eating in time. The thought of taking her plate above deck never occurred to her.

"Elizabeth," Angel spoke, "I'd like for you to meet my sister, Crys. Crys, this is Elizabeth."

Lorne smiled at Elizabeth. "It's nice to see you again, Elizabeth." He slipped into his chair beside Crys.

Elizabeth had been too lost in her thoughts to realize when the others had come up. She now looked up at them, surprise registering in her gaze. A slow smile spread over her face as she realized that she was still cared about. After all, they could have easily chosen anywhere else to eat. "It's nice to meet you . . . " she told Crystal, realizing that she must be the one Angel referred to as she was the only one she did not know. Her gaze moved to Lorne as she continued, " . . . and it's a pleasure to see you again, Mister Lorne."

"Just Lorne," he told her. "It's been a long time. It's good to have you amongst us. Will you be staying or leaving when we reach Tortuga?" Somehow he just could not see Elizabeth as a Pirate even though he had known she had a penchant for wanting to be one. Being the Governor's daughter, he knew she was used to luxuries and there were definitely no luxuries aboard a Pirate ship.

His question caught Elizabeth by surprise. Though she had lost Will, she did not want to lose him completely. Besides, where would she go? She had no home to return to, no family left . . . Her saddened gaze dropped back to her plate for a minute, and she poked at a piece of chicken with her fork. "I . . . I hope to be allowed to stay."

"Jack would love to have you aboard. I was just thinking that life might be too hard on you, seeing as to how you're used to luxuries and there are none here."

Cordelia was watching Elizabeth and could feel her new friend's sadness. She knew she must be thinking about how she had no one and nothing left after her home had been destroyed. Lorne's comment about luxuries also made her think of her old life. Thus, she was the one to answer him rather than Elizabeth. "Luxuries are not everything, and besides, they can often be more of a hindrance than what they appear to be."

"It will be good to have both of you aboard ship. Should you need anything, do not hesitate to ask Angel, Crys, or myself." He was volunteering Crys, but he hoped that she would not be upset by it. "A Pirate's life is hard but well worth it, and though we have no luxuries, we have each other as family and friends and that more than makes up for not having luxuries. I had them once upon a time," his eyes glanced toward Angel, "and so did Angel. We both threw them over to be Pirates."

Angel did not dispute what Lorne was saying, because the luxuries had been there due to the fact that his father had been a parson. His father had kept the luxuries for himself, and not even his wife had been able to enjoy them. He had not thrown anything over, and he knew Lorne had not given up as much as he was putting out. He had come from a wealthy clan, but he had been the outcast and had not had the life he wanted. He still did not disagree with him, because he knew what he was trying to do with the ladies. Life was hard enough on the men, but ladies who were used to such as Elizabeth and Cordelia were were always seeking better things. "I will do whatever I can to help you," he promised both of them. He sought Crys' eyes but found that she was not eating anything though staring at her plate. "Crys?" he asked softly.

She shook her head, her long, blonde hair shimmering down her back. "I'm fine, Angel."

"Remember what I told you earlier. It will always be true."

Cordelia's eyes flitted between Angel's concerned face and Crystal, who was determinedly not looking at any one else and did not even answer him. She wondered just what he had told her earlier but reminded herself that it must have been something concerning the Demon that was after her.

Elizabeth looked up, as well. Her gaze took in Lorne's face and the interaction between Angel and Crystal. The woman was not fine; she could tell that with but a glance. Yet she still refused to admit to the truth. Her brow creased as she wondered what was going on.

Angel sat down beside Cordelia, reached out, and took her hand. "I must go above, dear heart. Join me when you finish." He was getting sick to his stomach as he smelled the food and watched the others eating. He wished, for once, that he could eat as they were doing. "We have much to talk about, dear heart." He squeezed her hand one more time even as he stood up.

Cordelia nodded, her eyes gazing into Angel's. She wished she could join him, but her hunger had not yet began to be appeased. Plus, both Crystal and Elizabeth needed some one. She did not know if she could get anywhere with either but knew she had to try. "I will, love," she told him, still hesitant to let him go but knowing that he had to fulfill his duties.

"Crys, can I take Blue up for a while?" He was still holding Blue on his hand.

She nodded but still did not look up. It was then that the memory of Blue's betrayal hit her, and her head snapped up, her sad, ice blue eyes flashing up at the two. "But don't you dare do anything like you did earlier!"

"I promise," Angel said, looking down into her blue eyes and wishing that there was something more that he could do to help her. Blue cooed as though he, too, promised to behave.

The others wondered what had happened between Angel, Blue, and Crystal earlier but dared not ask. Crys nodded, but as they started to go out, she whispered to Cindy. "Cindy, follow them, and don't let your brother do anything stupid." The lioness growled softly, and she answered her, "Because you will do whatever needs to be done to stop them where Elvira won't."

As the lioness padded away, Cordelia and Elizabeth exchanged a look. Cordy wondered if the big cat might try to hurt Angel but assured herself that she wouldn't attempt to do anything to her uncle.

Lorne was mystified. What could Angel have done to Crys with Blue in attendance? He'd have to ask him about it later. He returned his attention to his food.

* * *

Once on deck, Angel held Blue up so that he could fly around and get some exercise. He walked slowly around the deck, wondering just how he was going to break to Cordelia what he truly was and how she would take it. She had to know, and the sooner, the better. He wondered for a minute just how many normal people there were on the ships and how many Supernatural beings there were. He knew Cordelia would keep her mouth shut, not that she really had anybody to talk to about it except Elizabeth. He just hoped she wouldn't run screaming off into the night, fall off the ship, and kill herself. He truly wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

He stood quietly at the railing, listening to the ship settling down for the night and feeling Cindy's eyes on him. "You might as well come closer," he told her. "I knew you were there from the beginning. I know you don't like me much, but I'm not going anywhere."

Cindy growled, informing him that she was not concerned over where he might or might not go but over what he might do to Crystal. She knew he wanted to help her but hated to see her beloved mistress so sad.

"Maybe you can tell me what to do about Crys?" he said to her hopefully, speaking as though he were talking to another two-legger.

Cindy growled ferociously at that; the sound echoed through the deck. There was no way she would betray her mistress!

"I'm not trying to betray her, Cindy, just help her. I care about her."

Cindy flexed a paw, watching her claws sheathe and unsheathe, but finally relented enough to speak to him again. She told him that she knew he wanted to help Crystal but that he would get no help from her for Crys would feel it to be a betrayal.

"Whenever you feel like telling me anything, Cindy, to help her, feel free to do so. I won't ask again. I don't want her thinking anybody else betrayed her. Don't be angry at Blue; he did what he had to do to stop her."

Angel's response was another angry growl as the big cat commanded that he not try to tell her what to do.

"Females!"

Cindy growled again, her tail cutting through the air as if to return, 'Damn straight!'

* * *

Prue watched as the men finished their second plates. "We have pies for dessert, guys." Some of the men were patting their tummies and acting like they didn't have any more room. She looked at Brendan. "What kind do you want, Dr. Richards?"

Brendan could not help smiling at Prue. Her beauty seemed even more refreshing after the ordeal with Faith. "What kind do you recommend, Miss Halliwell?"

She hated being so formal with him when all she wanted to do was throw herself at him and whisper that she loved him, but she was going to do what Captain Jack told her to do and the first step of that was being very formal. "Dr. Richards, we have apple, pear, peach, blueberry, coconut, and pecan."

Brendan rose, feeling eyes upon him but not daring to look at the other Pirates, and started across the room to Prue. "But what kind do _you_ prefer, Miss Halliwell?" He was not very experienced with sweets but knew that whatever she enjoyed must be scrumptious.

"My favorite's pecan, but they're all quite good. I just don't like fruits much." She smiled at him. "So which will it be or perhaps you'd like a small piece of each?"

He would not put her to the extra trouble though the idea was tempting. "I believe I would prefer to try the pecan, madam."

"Come now, Dr. Richards, are you going to tell me you haven't ever eaten pie before?"

Brendan's eyes fell away from her face. "You can not exactly call Autolycus' or Joxer's real pies," he murmured.

"Then you shall have a small piece of each." She quickly whipped out a clean plate and cut him a small piece of each one. "Tell me which one you like the best."

Brendan had tried to assure her that she needn't go to the extra trouble for him, but she had acted as though she had not even heard him. He looked at her in surprise but smiled. "Thank you. Hum . . . Perhaps . . . " He paused, glanced at Jack, and quickly noted that he still had the cane with him. His shy eyes slowly rose back to Prue's. "Perhaps you would care to accompany me while we enjoy the remainder of your sister's delicious cooking?"

Prue looked helplessly at Jack. He had overheard the entire conversation and nodded his head at Prue, meaning that she should go ahead as long as Brendan initiated it. She smiled gratefully at him and went to sit beside Brendan at the table, forgetting all about her plate.

Several eyes had been watching the exchange between the two, and as Prue sat down without her plate, Piper noted that both Phoebe and Paige were about to rise. She shook her head at them, put her own plate down, and hurried to fix Prue a slice of pecan pie.

Cole picked up the plate he had fixed for Prue and carried it over. He smiled at her. "Remember, Miss Halliwell, you have to clean your plate before you get the pie."

"Why, thank you, Mister Turner, it was nice of you to fix me a plate, and thank you, Piper, for the pie and such a wonderful meal. I can't remember when I've ever been so hungry!" The entire time she was talking, her eyes were still glued to Brendan.

Piper smiled as she placed the plate she carried next to Prue's meal plate. "Just remember to eat the rest of your food," she lowered her mouth closer to Prue's ear and whispered so that she prayed only her sister could hear her, "and don't do anything Phebs wouldn't do."

Prue smiled back at her even as she saw Cole reach out to Piper and tell her that it was time for her to eat her own food. Though she had had her plate, she'd yet to take a single bite. He shimmered out, holding two plates and Piper.

"Well, drat!" Jack said. "I was going to toast the cook. I just wanted to try the pie first." He had a piece of pie in each hand. "I'll do it first thing tomorrow. Will, you have to try a piece of this pecan pie," he said even as he stuffed his piece in his mouth. It was the best thing he had ever tasted!

Will enjoyed the piece of pecan and nodded as he finally swallowed. "That is delicious," he admitted, "but you've got to try the coconut."

"That is what I've got right here," Jack said and stuffed it in too, being careful to swallow and not choke on his food. "Bring one of them, and let's go to our cabin."

Will looked at Jack in a mixture of eagerness and surprise. "But what about the festivities?"

"Oh. I forgot about those."

"Go ahead," Jareth told him.

"We'll have those later," Jack said. He did not want to disappoint Will, but he really did want to get him to the cabin alone. He had to step around Donkey on the way out who had found the scrap pan and was in the midst of several cats, who were all stuffing themselves silly. Donkey paused only long enough to burp, and Jack looked at him questioningly. "I thought you only ate oats?"

"What's that?" Donkey asked.

"Really, Captain," a smooth, cultured voice made Jack's jaw drop as none other than King Meesy looked up at him. "What being in their right mind would pass up any part of such a delicious feast?"

"I quite agree with you, King Meesy. If only I had more room, but alas, I'm almost full! I've got just a little hole, just enough for half the slice."

Salem looked up from where he was busy eating next to Meesy. "Just think, though, that babe can cook every day and night of the week!"

Donkey grinned. "And we all get to eat it!" He then let out another burp that rattled the walls of the galley.

"Excuse yourself, Donkey," Will sternly told the animal as he joined Jack, a plate of pie in hand.

Donkey blinked.

"Donkey, there are ladies present . . . " Will started.

Donkey looked from one side of the galley to another. "Where? All I see is Pirates!"

It was at just that moment that both Meesy and Salem glared at him and a Siamese cat struck Donkey. "Hey!"

Will shook his head. "I tried to warn you!"

"That little minx!"

"She certainly is," Salem and Meesy breathed as one, watching Kit as she stalked off, a piece of chicken carried high in her mouth. They sighed simultaneously, then looked at each other in surprise.

Jack laughed as he walked out the door, heading for the cabin. He could hardly wait to get there and get a moment alone with Will! He wished again for a bottle of rum; it would sure make things easier. He had no clue as to how to approach this coming battle, but he eagerly anticipated it. He opened the cabin door and closed it softly behind them. "Come and rest for a while, Will," he called and patted the bed. He pulled off his boots and laid down on the other side of the bed, allowing Will to have the side closest to the door. He did not feel comfortable on the bed and longed for his pallet instead. He lay stiffly on the bed, waiting for Will to make the next move.

Will placed the plate on the table and joined Jack at the bed. He sat on its edge while pulling off his boots and dropping them to the floor. As he turned back to Jack, however, he noticed that he appeared as tense as a board and frowned at him. "What's wrong, love?"

"Not used to this bed. I miss my pallet," he mumbled.

"What do you mean you miss your pallet?" Will queried. "You sleep there on a regular basis?"

"Every night."

Will stared at him in shock. "Why?"

"I feel safe there. I feel exposed up here, as though some big monster's going to come out of the closet, jump on the bed, and eat me all up, but under there, I can see what's going on and nobody can see me. I've never been in the bed before now. I bought it for you."

"For me?" Will repeated questioningly, his surprise and concern growing steadily. "Why?"

"You know, for when you and Elizabeth got married . . . I was planning on taking you on a honeymoon cruise and to the present I bought for you. I never sleep in a bed, but I knew that you did or at least, I thought that you did until Donkey showed me where you slept. Mister Brown was a real horse's ass. If I had known how he treated you, I would have come sooner."

"And done what?" Will asked. "Whipped me away with a woman that I never wanted to be with?"

"Beat the crap out of Mister Brown and stole you away with me. I thought you were happy. At least, you always seemed to be. How was I to know? Come down with me, and I'll show you how it is under there."

"But what makes you so afraid of sleeping on the bed? You don't trust your crew?"

"Of course I do. I just feel safer under there."

"But from what? And don't tell me the Boogeyman again; you know that's just a kid's tale."

"Oh, the Boogeyman's for real, Will. He just doesn't come out of the closet. He's hiding in each and every one of us just waiting to come out. I don't know what else to call him but the Boogeyman. He's evil, and he makes us do evil things." He warily glanced out of the corner of his eye at the mirror that he kept covered with a long, dark cloth. Turning his attention back to Will, he asked, "Are you coming down with me or not?" Jack was really not wanting to get into a discussion of evil things. He looked hopefully at Will. "You don't have to stay down there if you don't like it."

Will's eyes searched Jack's, and he gently cupped his handsome face. Just what had his beloved been through in the past that had scared him so? He wished he knew so that he might help him to overcome it but also did not want to bring up any bad memories. At long last, he nodded. "I'll go down there with you, Jack, but if you want to talk . . . "

Without another word, Jack slipped under the bed and waited for Will to come down.

Will nodded to himself, then rolled under the bed after Jack.

Jack lay on his side, breathing heavily as though he had run a marathon race. "See it's not too bad under here. I've been having trouble the last couple of days trying to force myself to sleep in that bed, but I sat on it and I immediately got off of it. I told myself it was your bed. I pretended I could smell your scent, and even that couldn't keep me up there."

"But what if I hold you?" Will proposed, his eyes gazing adoringly into Jack's.

"Can you hold me down here?"

"I can," Will replied, "but if you could get yourself to give the bed a real chance, I believe you'd like it. Spend one night with me on the bed, Jack, and if you don't find that you prefer its comfort to this hard cot, I'll sleep with you every night from then on down here."

"Okay," Jack gave in, "but you better not leave me."

Will reached out and stroked Jack's cheek even as he slid closer to him. "I promise I won't," he whispered against Jack's lips before touching his own to them.

Jack melted at his touch. He pushed Will on his back and kissed him deeply. He wasn't uncomfortable with the kissing part; he just wasn't sure what to do next. Knowing that Will was a virgin, he felt sure that Will would not know what to do either. He had to ask somebody and soon, because he knew there was more to it than kissing. For now all he could do was kiss Will, which he did, pouring every drop of his love for him into their lips' embrace.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	37. Chapter Thirtysix

**Chapter Thirty-six**

Lorne finished eating and thought that he would go for pie. He looked at Elizabeth's plate, Cordy's plate, and then Crystal's plate. She was still playing with her fork in her food and not eating it. "Crys?" he asked her gently.

"Hmm?" Crystal replied without taking any real notice of Lorne. Her gaze remained focused on her plate even as she murmured, "I'm fine." Elvira's whimper from behind her told them otherwise.

"Sweetie, you going to eat some of that? Any of it? Please?" He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Eat some of it for me?"

Lorne's lips on her cheek surprised Crystal so much that she sat up bolt straight, and it was only then that Cordelia and Elizabeth, who had also been watching her in concern, saw the sadness that haunted her face. "Lorne," Crys told him, failing to recall the others' presence, "you know that's not safe."

"Not safe?" Elizabeth repeated in confusion. "The food's not only safe; it's delicious! Look. We've both eaten everything on our plates. No one's trying to poison you."

Lorne looked at Elizabeth. "It's not the food. Why don't you two ladies get some pie? Bring me back an interesting piece, please."

Elizabeth started to protest in her desire to help, but Cordelia's gentle yet firm hand on her own stopped her. "We will," Cordy told Lorne even as she got to her feet. "Elizabeth?" The blonde started to protest again, but before she get one sound out, Cordelia pulled her away from the table. As they walked away, Cordy leaned closer to Elizabeth and whispered to her. "Think about it. We barely know Crystal. Do you honestly think she'll tell him anything with us there?"

"I just want to help," Elizabeth whispered.

Cordelia's sad eyes matched her friend's. "I know," she agreed. "So do I, but we would only be a hindrance right now. Look at it this way. You're the daughter of a Governor, right?" The blonde nodded. "If Will had broken up with you there and one of the servants had tried to ask you what was wrong, would they have gotten anywhere?"

"I'm not a -- "

"No, you're not a servant, but we're no closer to her than they were to you."

Elizabeth quieted as she realized Cordelia's point. She glanced back at Lorne and Crystal over her shoulder, "I wonder what's wrong with her."

Cordelia did not answer.

* * *

Lorne lifted Crys' chin so that she had to look into his eyes. "Beyond all the obvious, Crys, tell me what's wrong. Don't you trust Angel and me? Don't you want my green to touch you, or is that what is so repulsive that you don't even want to look at me?"

She could see the truth of his concern in his eyes, and it pained her to know that her actions had made him think that that might be the case. She reached a hand up and cupped it gently around his hand. "Lorne, it's not that. It doesn't matter to me that you're green. I've never looked at skin color, and besides, I . . . I think it looks good on you." She blushed.

"Then what is it, baby? I know about the bad stuff. We're protecting you as best we can. I won't let him touch you."

Crys shook her head. "You don't understand," she told him. "None of you do. He isn't a being who can be stopped."

"He hasn't met Angel and me yet. Is Port Royal bothering you? It's not your fault. It's his fault. It's not your fault for living, breathing, and deserving a chance at life. Their sins caught them, and their sentence was carried out swiftly by an asshole Demon." He was whispering so that only she could hear him. "You're not to blame, so stop blaming yourself. We'll get him, but he won't get you."

"You won't get him. If I can't find a way to get away from you, _he'll_ get _you_."

"Crys, do you know what being this close to you, touching you, does to me? It makes me have evil thoughts. It makes me want to throw you down on the table and have my evil way with you," he said, growling playfully next to her ear. "And we haven't even done the act a single time yet. I have never felt this way about any one before! You want me to just throw it all away without fighting for the chance of becoming a part of you?" He pulled back so that he could see her eyes.

Though his growl, touch, and words sent delicious thrills shooting through her, she knew the danger he was in and forced herself to answer, "Yes."

"I'm not going to. I want you too much. I need you, and, most of all, I love you!"

"Do you?" she had to force herself to counter him. "We were under Aphrodite's spell, Lorne. How do you know it's not the spell?"

"The spell made me want to take you then and there, regardless of our surroundings, but it did not make me love you. I fell in love with you before you ever opened your mouth. I saw you laying in my bed like a perfect Angel and me, the bad Demon that I am, wanted to take you. I still want you. I don't think that, if we made love one time or a hundred times, I'd want you any less, and this coming from a guy who usually likes to hang around guys!"

Surprise flickered in her eyes at his admission. "You'd be safer if you _were_ gay."

"I thought I was until I met you, or at least bisexual. I have never had any one before you. I've been attracted to many, male and female, but when you opened your eyes and looked at me, it blew me away! I will never want any one the way I want you. You are the other part of me. What happens to you will happen to me." He kissed each of her fingers as his eyes kept hers locked. "You can drive me away, but I won't go far. You are what makes me breathe. You are my very breath." His voice trailed off. Not only was he fighting his emotions which were to take her here and now, but he was trying to keep a clear brain so that he could fight what she was feeling. "I'll die if you leave me, Crys."

"You'll die if I don't. I couldn't bare to see that, Lorne. I don't want you -- any of you -- dead because of me, and I know that that'll happen. You . . . You don't know what I've been through, what I've seen him do! You don't know what he's capable of! I do, and I know that if I stay, I'll get you, Angel . . . all of you killed. You won't even stand a chance!"

"I don't stand a chance of living if you leave me, Crys. You know about Angel. He feels the same way, only differently. Thank Gods he feels differently! I thought I was going to have to kill him!"

Crystal's stunned reaction was clear on her face as she stared at Lorne in shock. Kill Angel? Over her? Before she had a chance to ask him, she heard Cordelia speak. "Kill who over what?"

Lorne looked up at her. "Kill a backstabbing bloke trying to steal my woman. I'd kill any one who tried to harm her or take her away from me." He was still holding on to Crys' hand.

Cordelia and Elizabeth exchanged a surprised look before looking back at Lorne. Cordy knew she had heard Angel's name mentioned as they had approached the table, trying to slow their footsteps to give Lorne and Crystal a chance to finish their conversation but not succeeding in doing so. "We thought that to."

Lorne looked at them in confusion. "What made you think that I was talking about Angel?"

"We heard you mention his name," Cordelia replied as she and Elizabeth took their seats, "and we saw them together earlier."

"We didn't know Crystal was his sister," Elizabeth explained. "That's why I . . . " Instead of finishing her thought, she looked down at the table with a blush.

"That's why you what?" Crystal asked, growing more puzzled with each passing second.

"That's why I slapped him," Elizabeth blurted.

"Gods, you women explode over everything!" Lorne exclaimed.

"She was only protecting me!" Cordelia protested.

"Angel's got two women on his mind," Lorne explained. "One is you, Cordelia. He's so mad about you he can hardly control himself! The other one is you, Crys. He wants to help, and he doesn't know what to do. We all want to help."

Crystal looked away. How could she answer him with Elizabeth and Cordelia so close within hearing distance?

Cordelia glanced between Lorne and Crystal before looking back to Lorne. "That part we understood, but we didn't when we first caught him with her. There's something else we haven't been able to figure out, too . . . "

Elizabeth looked at her in surprise and started to question her, but Cordelia's sudden setting of her foot upon Elizabeth's instantly quieted the blonde.

"What's that?" Lorne asked.

"That howling thing that chased us earlier. You know, the one in the sky that turned Port Royal to ice and everything? What the heck was that?"

"That," Lorne said, "is a Demon, and we're all trying to get away from him."

"He's more than a Demon," Crystal whispered.

"He is?" Cordy asked, looking at her in apparent surprise.

Elvira whimpered, but Crys placed a gentle hand on the wolf's head. "Yes, I do, Elvira. I have to tell them all . . . somehow." She turned toward Cordelia and Elizabeth. "He's my uncle."

"Oh my Gods!" Cordelia cried. "I thought my Father was bad enough! At least he wasn't a Demon!"

Elizabeth, too, stared at Crystal in shock but finally managed to speak, "So that's what the problem is. That's what you're hiding."

Crystal did not respond.

Cordelia glanced at Crystal, Elizabeth, and Lorne, her mind working quickly as she tried to come up with a way to get through to Angel's sister. Finally, she lowered her voice to a quiet whisper that she believed no one else would be able to overhear. "I know it's horrible knowing every one's in danger, but you're not the only one putting them in danger."

"What?" Lorne asked, his voice raised in concern.

Crystal's eyes finally met Cordelia's. Her surprise was clear therein. Even Elizabeth turned to Cordy, her mouth open in surprise but no sound coming out.

Cordelia drew in a deep breath even as she nodded. "My Father is a King."

"So . . . ?" Lorne asked.

"He wants me," Cordelia explained, forcing the words to come out as she made the revelation to them in hopes that it might help Crystal to be more forthcoming. "Captain Sparrow, Angel, and -- I believe, Dr. Richards rescued me today. They defeated the group my Father had sent after me, but when he finds out where I am . . . " She paled slightly as she breathed, "He might well send his entire army!"

"Looks like there's going to be plenty of fighting," Lorne said, nodding. "Let's put that behind us for tonight, and do our best to enjoy the festivities." He could hear a couple of instruments tuning up. "I will have to go soon. I am one of the singers." He smiled. "Crys, please hurry and eat your food. I'd like for you to hear me, and you can't leave the galley until you're finished eating and you can't give it to Elvira."

Crys gazed at Lorne in surprise. She might actually get to hear him sing? With that thought in mind, she turned back to her food and finally started eating. One bite was enough to cause her to begin nearly devouring her plate in her starvation.

Lorne looked at her and smiled. She must care about him as she wanted to hear him sing and was almost swallowing her food whole in her haste! "Usually after we have a feast, we all sit around and share our music with each other, so if you ladies have anything that you'd like to contribute, feel free to do so."

Elvira whimpered softly to her mistress, and Crys paused just long enough to shake her head at the wolf. Elvira pouted up at her in disappointment even as Crys continued eating.

Cordelia, who had been grinning triumphantly, heard the wolf. Her eyes turned to a piece of chicken that she had saved on her napkin. She'd planned to give it to Blue but changed her mind. Scooping to one side, she held the chicken out to Elvira. "Elvira?" she called.

The wolf padded over and gently took the chicken from Cordy's trembling fingers, but even as she ate the delicious meat with a grin of gratitude, her disappointment did not ease. She'd already eaten her food; that was not what had disappointed her.

Lorne wondered why Elvira was trying to push Crys into doing whatever Crys was good at. It was a phrase that Elvira kept repeating; he wondered if his beloved could sing or if it was something else.

* * *

Cole shimmered to one of his favorite places aboard ship. It was a quiet, secluded area that had a small table and chairs and was located next to the forecastle deck. It was sometimes used for counting of the booty. He sat the plates down and then turned to gaze into Piper's eyes. "Your table awaits, milady." He knew she was exhausted. It had been a forever-long day. He pulled her chair out and seated her.

"Oops! I forgot the drinks!" he said. "I'll be right back." He shimmered before she could say anything. Once in the galley, he saw that every one was going for pie. He got two pieces of coconut pie, placed them on a tray, and then got four cups of drink and returned to Piper. He placed those on the table, as well. He sat down across from her and smiled at her.

Cole had so swiftly whirled Piper away that her mind was still twirling from the shimmering when he had shimmered out again. She had found herself tired, however, and nearly fallen asleep before he'd returned. She smiled up at him, her eyes revealing how dazzled she was by him. "You're full of surprises."

"Why, thank you, Miss Halliwell. I delight in surprising you. You surprise me, as well. I've never tasted anything as good as your cooking!"

"Do you . . . really like it that much?" She knew the Pirates had all gone for her fare but realized that, given what they were used to, that really might not say that much at all.

"Oh, yes! I've eaten at fancy restaurants and at little holes in the wall, but even though a lot of them had excellent food, none could compare to yours. Take a bite." He could tell she was about to fall flat on her face. He stabbed at a piece of chicken on her plate and lifted it to her lips. "I'll feed you if I need to."

She could not help but to smile. "That's very tempting," she admitted even as a slight blush tinged her cheeks. How dare she be so forward!

"It would be a great pleasure to do so," he said as he slid his chair closer to hers. "A woman like you should be pampered and not have to work so hard." He brought the bite closer to her lips, wishing that his own lips were touching hers and not just his fork.

Her eyes continued to gaze into his even as her lips slowly drew the piece of meat into her mouth. Even she had to admit that it was delicious, but she wondered how much of that was the actual food and the thought that such an incredible man as Cole was feeding her. "Thank you."

He continued to feed her one bite and himself the next. He was about to lift another bite for himself when Piper beat him to the piece he had selected and raised it to his lips, her own lips pressed together.

He ate it slowly from the fork and then moved the fork out of the way, bringing his own lips to hers and kissing her gently. Piper's lips parted under his, welcoming his touch, even as she returned his kiss.

"You, Miss Piper, need to get some rest, and we both need to fight what we're feeling for if we give in to it, you might regret it in the morning. I would never regret it. I would treasure it always, but I don't want it to happen when you're exhausted." He pushed his chair back from hers and then bent to her feet, unlacing her boots and pulling them off. He gently began to massage her feet.

She sighed at the pleasure his touch evoked even as her mind whirled over his words. Could one kiss really lead to _that_? She did not know but did realize that he was right. She was exhausted but did not want to sleep. The mere thought of closing her eyes scared her, and she straightened suddenly as a horrible thought came to her. What if, when she opened her eyes again, Cole and the others were no longer there? What if this were all a mirage, a hallucination that only seemed to have lasted for a day? What if she were, in truth, still drowning in the lake with her mother, grandmother, sisters, and all their friends? Her face paled.

"What's wrong, darling? Did I hurt you?" He paused in rubbing her feet and gazed at her with a concerned look.

"No," she whispered, trying to shake away the tears that threatened to come to her eyes. "I . . . I just don't want to get that rest quite yet."

"Oh. I don't want you to go, not yet. Just relax. Let me make you feel better." Even as he talked to her, he continued to run his hands gently over her legs up to the knee, massaging the backs of her legs. His hands were skilled, and yet he was gentle in his touch. He hoped she was getting pleasure from his stroke. He was getting pleasure just touching her. It was then that he heard the strains of a song and realized that the musicians were beginning to get their songs going. "May I have this dance, Miss Halliwell?" he asked.

She gazed down into his eyes and found herself smiling again, the terrible memory forgotten momentarily once more. "On one condition."

"Anything, sweetheart."

"I know society considers it rather improper, but . . . Do you think you could stop calling me by Miss Halliwell and call me by my name instead? I hate being so formal with you, Mister Turner." She wriggled her nose at him.

"Sorry, Piper. I just . . . I want things to go right for us, and I don't want you to feel like I'm crowding you or rushing things. I plan to be with you for the rest of my life, my darling Piper."

Her eyes shimmered as she smiled at him. "Cole, I never knew what I wanted to do with my life before," she admitted. "I always just revolved my world around my family, but you're part of that family now and so much more. I still don't know exactly what to expect, but I do know one thing and that's that I want to be with you," she told him, reaching down and taking his hand in hers, "regardless of what comes or what any one thinks."

He lifted her gently up into his arms and began to dance with her around the floor in time to the music, not allowing her poor, tired feet to touch the floor. Her head touched just under his chin. He knew that she was more woman than he had ever known in his entire life, and he still could not believe that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He began to sing a soft love song to Piper, a song that promised her many tomorrows full of everything that he could give her but most of all full of the love he held for her deep in his heart.

Piper had already felt as though she were flying as Cole danced with her and yet never allowed her feet to touch the deck, but now she knew her heart was soaring through the clouds at the words he sang to her. She held to him, resting her head on his chest and listening to the sounds of his deep, sexy voice and his heartbeat that seemed to drum in time to his song and their dancesteps. She would have liked to have kissed him but did not dare after his earlier words; besides, she did not wish to give him any reason to stop his wonderful singing. She'd never heard a voice like his before, and it thrilled her ears as well as her heart and very soul.

He wanted to kiss her but knew he'd have to stop dancing with her in order to do so. He could dance with her forever, holding her close to his heart. As his song came to an end, he sat her gently back on the floor, gazed into her eyes, and kissed her, his body almost melting into hers. Piper returned his kiss in full, her own body pressing into his.

* * *

The musicians had scattered around the deck, each lost to his own music but blending together and making perfect harmony. Joxer was sitting, his back against the ship and Phoebe at his side, gently stroking his lyre. Whereas he could not cook for anything and could hardly even fight a mouse, he did play wonderfully. He glanced around, looking for Lorne who had not gotten up yet to sing but was still sitting beside Crys, lost in her eyes. "Hey, Lorne!" he called. "What do you want?"

"Not now, Joxer," he called back. "I can't do that now!"

"Aw, come on, Lorne! Sure you can! I think they'll get a kick out of it!"

"Joxer, if you think they'll get a kick out of that, I've got -- "

Crystal looked at Lorne curiously. "What's he talking about?"

"It's a song and dance routine that we do sometimes. It's embarrassing."

"How can that be embarrassing?" she asked. "I love to sing and dance!"

Lorne shook his head. "That's part of the song. If you promise not to laugh, I'll do it."

She looked into his eyes as she told him sincerely, "I promise, and, Lorne, I wouldn't laugh at you."

"Okay. I'll do it," he said, slowly getting to his feet.

Joxer stood to join him. "You're the twit," he said, looking at Lorne, "and I'm the Captain. The rest of you crew know what to do when we hit the right spots."

Phoebe looked up at him in surprise. From around Joxer, she glanced questioningly at the blonde, wondering if she had any further clue. Crystal met the brunette's gaze and gave her head a slight shake even as she grinned. She had no ideal what the guys were about to pull but was certainly looking forward to it.

"We do?" Tom asked innocently from where he sat with his arm wrapped around Katrina's shoulders.

The rest of the crew stared balefully at Tom. "Of course you do, twit," Morph told him. "You got to be the twit last time."

"What's a twit?" The crew groaned, and he laughed as his eyes turned back to the night's stars. "Well, boys," he called, "show us what you have. Just try not to hit anybody, Cap'n."

Joxer grinned ruefully. "Not going to guarantee that," he called back, "but I'll try!"

Joxer stood boldly forth with his chest puffed out slightly, a sight that caused Phoebe to joyously clasp her hands in eager anticipation. "Avast there mates, ye're sailin' with Long John Black Beard, Peg-Leg, Patch-Eye Hook, scourge of the bounding main. Bloodthirstiest, black-heartiest Pirate captain ever sailed the seven seas, ha, ha, ha! What say ye we hoist the Jolly Roger, heel over the yonder Spanish galleon. Lay a few broadsides again' her timbers, swing over on these here lanyards with our cutlasses in our teeth, cut 'em to ribbons, and split the booty. What say ye to that, me hearties? Heh! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Lorne stood right beside Joxer. Confusion showed on his face even as his words came out, "I don't like it..."

The rest of the Pirates groaned.

"You don't like it?" Joxer questioned, turning his gaze to glower down upon Lorne.

Lorne boldly met Joxer's gaze even as he told him, "I don't like it, and I don't wanna do it. It's tacky . . . tacky . . . tacky . . . and don't look at me that way."

Joxer asked him, "Well, if you don't like it, what do you want?"

Lorne answered him, "I want to sing and dance; I want to sing and dance. I want to be a Pirate from France. Wear me silver-buckled slippers and me tight shiny pants. I want to sing and dance."

That already had several of the crew beginning to chuckle, and even Crys struggled to keep a straight face at the look Joxer gave Lorne. "You want to sing and dance, heh! You don't like plundering, aye? Well, shiver me timbers 'ow 'bout treasuring, huh? Rubies, emeralds and pearls, gold doubloons and British sovereigns. Silver chalices encrusted with diamonds and jewels, necklaces and bracelets of every shape and size, fit for the crown heads of Europe, aye? And all buried in a Pirate's chest, and I just happen to know where. How about that, me bloodthirsty buckos, heh? Ha, ha, ha!"

The crew roared their approval even as Lorne said, "I don't like it..."

Joxer looked at him as though he could eat him as he countered, "You don't like it?"

"I don't like it, and I don't want it..." Lorne insisted.

Joxer looked disbelievingly at the rest of the crew. "He don't want it!"

"And I won't do it... I'm an artiste," Lorne announced with flair.

"An artiste? Well, Mister Artiste," Joxer sneered, "what do you want?"

"I want to sing and dance; I want to sing and dance. I want to be a Pirate from France. Wear me silver-buckled slippers and me tight shiny pants. I want to sing and dance."

"Now, listen hear!" Joxer demanded. "This ain't no floating musical show made for some little flittin' tinkerbell. This here be a black-hearted Pirate ship, and I would have you keel-hauled if you weren't me own flesh and blood, you little twit! So you don't like plunderin' aye?"

"I don't like it..." Lorne persisted yet again.

"And you don't want no treasurin' ah?" Joxer asked again in clear confusion.

"I don't want it..."

"And you probably don't want no groggin' and revelin' and wrenchin' and rummin' either I suppose?"

"Well, deep down. . . . You want to know the truth? It's not me; I don't want it..."

"Well, what do you want? As if I didn't already bleein know?"

"I want to sing and dance and..."

"I know, I know . . . and wear your tight little shiny pants. Huh! Okay . . . We'll all sing and dance." The crew members grumbled faked complaints. "I said we'll all sing and dance . . . " The others continued to grumble, and Joxer shouted at them, "Or you'll walk the plank!" That instantly changed their attitudes. "One - two - three!"

The crew joined in the singing of the chorus, and Joxer's grin grew, almost giving away his act completely as he heard Phoebe's voice join them. "I want to sing and dance; I want to sing and dance! I want to be a Pirate from France! Wear me silver-buckled slippers and me tight shiny pants! I want to sing and dance!"

"I like it . . . . I like it!" Lorne exclaimed.

Joxer grinned as he admitted, "I kinda like it me own self."

"Thought you would," Lorne smiled. He stole a glance at Crystal as he hoped that she also liked it.

As the chorus came to conclusion, the other Pirates broke down into laughter. Crystal was still trying desperately not to laugh. Not only did she have a hand clasped over her mouth, but Blue's tail entangled with her hand, as well. It was then that she was met with Lorne's gaze, and her breath caught in her throat. Gods, he was magnificent! She sombered suddenly as the remembered belief that she would only get him killed hit her full-force. She waited until he turned his back toward her and his attention back to Joxer, then got up quietly and fled on silent, booted feet.

"Sixteen men on a dead man's chest . . . Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!" the crew shouted.

"I don't like rum..." Lorne started.

"You don't like rum?" Joxer asked in disbelief.

"Well no, actually . . . Well, I might like a little champagne," Lorne admitted.

"A little champagne?"

"With a lime in it..."

"A lime in it? He wants a lime in it..."

"Well, do you have any Escargot?"

"Escar . . What?"

"What's the soup today?"

"Soup?"

"Might have a bit of a salad too!"

"Well, how about a bleeding fingerbowl?"

"Maybe a croissant! Is that right? Those French make everything so hard! Why didn't they just call it a bun?"

Their voices trailed off, and the crew exploded into applause. Joxer was grinning from ear to ear as he clasped Lorne's shoulders. "See? I told you -- " His voice broke off in mid-sentence as he realized that Crystal was no longer sitting behind Lorne, let alone not struggling to keep from laughing. His face fell. "Uh-oh."

"What's wrong?" Lorne asked. "We did good."

"Yes, we did," Joxer replied, "but she's gone."

"Oh crap!" Lorne said. "She didn't like it at all! I've got to find her and apologize for being such an idiot!"

"No!" Phoebe told him, the word bursting from her more swiftly than anything else she could have a chance to say. She quickly joined them. "Lorne, I -- I don't know how to tell you this . . ."

"Well, spit it out. What is it?"

"She enjoyed the song right up until the last chorus, but then . . . Well, she got this really sad look on her face. I think I even saw some tears. And she ran."

"Which direction?" Lorne asked.

Phoebe pointed in the direction Crystal, followed by her animals, had taken off in. Lorne raced madly in that direction, leaving Phoebe to turn to Joxer. "Should we go after them?"

"Only if he calls for help," Joxer said. "It's something they've got to work out for themselves. How was I?" he asked.

"Wonderful!" Phoebe exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his.

He broke off the kiss long enough to grin down at her and tell her, "I'm glad you liked it." He then turned back to kissing her.

* * *

Still inside the galley, Brendan continued to gaze into Prue's eyes. Neither had even noticed when the others had left, though they had heard Lorne's and Joxer's act. When the music stopped and did not start again, Brendan looked toward the door with a worried frown.

"What's wrong, Brendan?" Prue asked.

"Lorne usually goes right into another song. Something must be wrong."

"Maybe we should go out and check on them?" Prue suggested.

Brendan nodded but then paused himself. "Actually, milady, as great as your company has been, if you would excuse me, I believe there is something I need to do."

She looked at him sadly. "I hate our time has come to an end, but I understand. See you tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

He smiled down at her. "Where would I go?" He saw the dismay in her eyes, and it cut him to his core. For just a brief moment, he considered taking her with him, but no, he couldn't do that. It would place her in far too much danger, and just where had Jack gotten to with the cane? Reaching out, he dared to take her hand in his and gave it a soft squeeze. "I look forward to seeing you again, Miss Halliwell."

She smiled wistfully at him. "Good night, Brendan," she managed to say, "and call me Prue. Miss Halliwell makes me sound like I'm ancient."

"As you wish . . . Prue." He liked the sound of her name on his tongue. He took a few steps backwards but still did not relinquish her hand. He knew he had to, however, and also dared not kiss it for her sweet taste would surely bring the wolf back. He bowed over her hand instead. "Sweet dreams, milady," he whispered before turning with a sad face and forcing his boots to carry him away from her.

She watched him go, one lone tear trailing down her face.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	38. Chapter Thirtyseven

**Chapter Thirty-seven**

Fury radiated through her and rolled off of her in waves, sending everything that saw her, even a Fiery who'd been about to ask to play with her head, scurrying off in the opposite direction as she stormed toward the sleeping quarters. Her hands clenched so tightly that her nails bit into her palms, and her eyes flashed darker than a storm-tossed night sky. How _dare_ they! How _dare_ they pretend to care for her just because they foolishly felt it their duties to keep her from hurting herself! _No one_ would keep her from her goal that night! **_No one!_**

Reaching the sleeping quarters, she threw open the door. The sound of its slamming against the wall echoed in the empty room. Faith strode straight toward her cot and flipped it over. She traded the sword she still wore for her regular blade and quickly reattached the first to the underside of her cot. That done, she knelt and removed a board from the deck.

She grabbed another knife and slipped it into her boot's hidden sheath. She'd wait until the light of day, when she might give at least a half an inch of a damn, to find the one she'd lost. Now, however, she just wanted to get drunk and forget . . . Forget Salem. Forget her past. Forget _him_, that stupid, ignorant kid who just thought he loved her because she was his first fuck and whose love she would never need nor want; forget his hands on her skin, his lips on her body . . . She just wanted to forget _everything_, she told herself before her mind could linger on Dawson and the remembered feel of his body in hers.

Reaching back into her secret hold, she drew out a bottle of tequila. Lifting it to her lips, she threw her head back and downed nearly the entire bottle in one swallow. As she lowered the bottle, her gaze fell on a bag in the hold. It was round with personal loot she'd saved for a while. Her mind turned to the fact that she was now in debt.

Katrina had saved Salem as she had asked her to do. If questioned, Faith knew the other woman would say she'd done it out of the goodness of her heart, because she wanted to be her friend, or some such similar shitt. Snatching the bag up, Faith turned and scanned the room for Katrina's belongings. Even as she tossed the bag to the pile, Faith's mind refused to stop playing over memories of what she had done to Salem and to another cat many years before.

Turning back, she swallowed the remainder of the bottle and, as the wriggling worm slid down her throat, threw the bottle against the wall. It shattered into a million pieces, and she reached over and picked up one of the shards. She looked at the glass for a second, a slow, grim smile forming on her dark lips. Physical pain always helped to silence other, unwanted emotions. Curling her fingers around the shard, she gripped the glass with increasing strength until blood seeped through her closed fingers.

Focusing on the pain that seared through her many self-inflicted cuts rather than the memories that had already been racing through her mind, Faith uncurled her fingers and gazed at her own blood. Her stomach flopped as she realized that her blood intermingled with Salem's, and the shard slipped from her fingertips as her mind was taken back to another time and a young girl's sobs filled her ears to the point that her present mind throbbed with the cries of her yesterdays. With a growled oath, Faith grabbed a second bottle of tequila. More than half the bottle poured down her throat in one quick gush. Then gathering an armload of it and more bottles, Faith rushed from the quarters, neither realizing nor caring that her cot lay on another's.

This time, she did not stop until she reached the riggings. Putting the bottles on the deck, she finished her second and let it drop and shatter. A piece cut the back of her hand; she didn't even blink. Without bothering to think, she stripped, freeing herself of the burdening restraints of clothes. She only allowed herself to think once she was completely naked. She would need her knife, and it would never do for a friendless bitch to be caught weaponless. However, she was also determined to take a bottle with her.

Pulling her boots back on, Faith snatched a third bottle and launched herself at the riggings. She focused on the burning of her injured hand and stinging of the blood that ran from her face and hands as she climbed and fought to ignore the memories that tormented her.

* * *

Cordelia and Elizabeth had lingered behind most of the others and had stayed in the galley to secretly get another plate each. They had not wished the others to know for both feared what the men might think, but neither could disagree that they were ravenous and that one plate and slice of pie simply was not enough to satisfy their starvation. Both had been quiet as they had finished their meal. Cordelia's silence was due to her mind whirling over the day's events, most especially her feelings for Angel, his for her, and their now-mutual concern over his sister; her mind had also gone more than once to poor, little Dawn and how her horrid family had sold her into sex slavery. Elizabeth's quietness was for a different reason, however, as she could not stop remembering Cordelia's earlier admission and fearing for her friend.

They had left the galley just in time to become absorbed in Joxer and Lorne's routine, but as it finished, Lorne rushed off, and there seemed to be no other forthcoming music, Cordelia's mind went instantly back to Angel. Where was he? She had not seen him since he had left the galley. "I'm going to go find Angel," she told Elizabeth, but as she started to walk off, the blonde grasped her wrist.

Frantic eyes peered up into hazel. "Cordelia, was what you said earlier true?" Cordelia raised her eyebrows, leading Elizabeth to explain, "About your father?"

Cordelia sighed softly even as she gently shook Elizabeth's hand off of her wrist. She had known questions would be forthcoming but had been unable to think of another way to help her grow closer to Crystal. "Yes," she told her, choosing her words carefully. "I am a Princess, but I do not wish the life my Father does for me."

"I understand," Elizabeth started, but Cordy knew instantly that she did not really. "My Father also wanted another life for me. He did not want me to marry Will so desperately that he sold him into slavery."

Cordelia looked out into the darkness, not wishing Elizabeth to see the tears that shimmered in her eyes. "My Father wanted me to marry the Captain of his guard, but he also wanted me under his thumb for the rest of my life. I . . . I wanted adventure, a life of my own . . . "

"So you came out to sea?"

Cordelia shook her head. "I ran away. I've stowed away on a few ships but only for traveling purposes."

"Then how did you come to be . . . ?"

"Here?" Cordelia finished for her. "When I ran away, my Father wanted me back so desperately that he sent some of his guards after me. I tried to hide on the Pearl today in order to escape them, but my plan failed. Thank Gods for Captain Sparrow, Angel, and Brendan," she said, feeling more confident that the other man who had helped to rescue her had indeed been the doctor. "They saved me from them."

"But they'll be back?"

"Oh, of course, they'll be back," Cordelia answered without hesitation. She did not even need to think to know the answer. "I am the King's daughter, and my Father wants me." Elizabeth would have never even began to think of the way that Cordelia's father truly wanted her, and the brunette was glad for that. "He will do whatever he can to bring me back."

"So you do believe he'll send his army?"

"I doubt that, honestly," Cordelia replied, her face lifting but only slightly. "He's always too busy fighting various wars to waste his army on me." A chill went through her, but she stayed strong. She was right . . . Wasn't she? With a quick shake of her head to clear her scary thoughts, Cordelia turned her mind back to the conversation at hand. "I only said that," she whispered to Elizabeth, hoping that no one would overhear them and believing that no one could, "so that Crystal will not think that she is the only one putting every one in grave danger."

"I still can not believe that that _horrid_ creature is her _uncle_!" Elizabeth exclaimed with a shudder.

"I know," Cordelia admitted with a nod, "but she can no more help what her uncle does than we can what our fathers do." With that, Cordelia walked off, leaving Elizabeth to ponder her words and the realization that the murderer of almost every one she had known growing up was a family member of some one aboard the very ship she was on.

* * *

Prue pulled herself together with a mental shake. Although her encounter with Brendan had not turned out as well as she had hoped for, she was happy with the fact that he had not wolfed and that she had actually been able to sit beside him at _his_ invitation nonetheless.

The galley was a mess. It looked as though a tornado had whipped through. She did not want Piper to come back from wherever Cole had whisked her off to and think that she had to clean up the mess, so although she wanted to go outside and see what the musicians were doing, she began to set the room to rights. She dragged a couple of trashcans around with her. Picking up discarded napkins and silverware, she dropped them into one. Into the other one, she put various articles the crew had thrown away. She was deserted except for a large amount of cats, and every time she found a piece of food, she threw it to one of them.

When she reached the front of the room, she looked back to see that everything had been picked up except for the plates. She then began to gather the used plates, hating the fact that she'd have to wash them before she could go to bed. Where were her sisters? They were supposed to be helping her. She knew Autolycus had been thrown into the hold, but Joxer also was supposed to be helping. She had heard Joxer singing, so she knew he was on deck with the other musicians. She did not want to drag him away from his music, so she intended to search for her sisters instead.

She walked out onto the deck and immediately spied her sisters. Phoebe had a hold of Joxer as though she would never let go, and Paige was sitting still with a weird look on her face. As Prue looked closer at Paige, she noticed two little feet hanging out from under her skirt, and her mouth nearly dropped open in shock. Damn, the audacity of the girl! If Ororo was to notice, there'd be Hell to pay! She quickly scanned the deck for Ororo and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her dancing with Wolverine. Quietly making her way over to Paige, she faced her sister. "What do you think you're doing?"

Paige grinned innocently up at Prue. "What's it look like? I'm enjoying the music! Aren't they great?" She sighed, but her fluttering sigh was full of more pleasure than any music could ever invoke.

"Paige, I know what you're doing. If Piper or Auntie Ororo sees you, you're in for it! I need your help in the galley. Come in there and bring your -- huh -- _friend_ with you. He can wash dishes or dry them. It doesn't matter; we've got a lot of work in there."

While waiting for Paige's acknowledgment, Prue glanced warily around, hoping to catch a sight of Brendan. He did not seem to be on deck, and no one was singing. It was then that she began to hear the slow beating of a drum picking up rhythm. It sounded as though it was shouting for joy as it started to set the pace for the musicians who began to play with it.

"Who is that?" Paige asked, looking around but not seeing any one with drums.

"That is the mysterious drummer," Prue answered in a quiet voice. "Some say he's a ghost."

Carl darted out from under Paige's skirts, his eyes wild. "A ghost! Where!"

"In the galley with you, mister," Prue commanded, "and stay out from under my sister's skirts!"

Carl glared at her. "She invited me!" He still could not believe his luck but would never have dared to decline the beautiful redhead's offer.

"She would!" Prue muttered. "I don't want to know what you were doing under there."

Paige's mouth flew open, but Joxer's mouth interrupted her. He had heard Prue from across the deck. "We're allowed to enjoy the music time before we have to wash the dishes," he told Prue. "Why don't you relax a little?" he suggested gently in hopes that he and Phoebe would be allowed to stay.

"Okay," Prue relented, "but right after music time, I need my helpers in the galley. We don't want Piper to have to clean the mess up after she cooked us such a delicious feast!"

A look of confusion crossed Joxer's face. "Why . . . " he started to ask but was quickly silenced by Phoebe's lips.

Prue settled down to watch the musicians, her eyes still glancing around in search of Brendan. She could find no sign of Brendan but was surprised when Jareth suddenly stood and began to sing. She was astonished at the quality of his voice, and a smile lit her face. It grew even more as his wife joined him in the song. Sitting and listening to their music was a real pleasure! She wondered if the crews did it every night and hoped that they would.

When Jareth and Delvira had finished their song, another Pirate stood and began to sing. Prue didn't like his song near as much as she had Jareth's. She got up and made her way slowly over to Brendan's cabin, remembering that she had seen drums in there earlier. Could it be Brendan playing? she wondered. She recalled Wesley saying that they now knew Brendan's secret. It had to be the drums. She crept closer and closer still until she could peek in the window. There she saw Brendan sitting on the floor with his drums in front of him, a big smile on his face, and his eyes closed, lost completely in his drumming. She did not make a sound but continued to watch him.

* * *

Crystal had wasted no time in running as far from Lorne as she could. She wanted to put the entire world between them but could only flee to the furthest deck of the Pearl. It was there that she collapsed on the railing, her intense emotions causing her to tremble. She gazed up at the night sky with its beautiful sprinkling of brilliant stars as memories from all points in her life flew through her mind. She knew she had to do something to calm herself if she was going to have any chance of thinking of a way to save Lorne, Angel, and the others, and so, in her desperation, began to sing:

"_I remember the tales of old.  
I recall the lies they fed me in the cold:  
The lies of family, love, and trust,  
All turned to dust  
In the face of reality._

_None of them understood.  
No one ever will.  
They see what they want to see,  
Each and every one of them,  
But none accept the reality._

_I wish it weren't so.  
I wish things were different,  
That I could go back in time  
And somehow stop my life  
From becoming what it has._"

Elvira whimpered at that, and Crystal looked down into the sad eyes of the three beings she loved most in the world. She reassuringly stroked Elvira with one hand while her other hand divided its pets between Cindy and Blue. She wanted to tell them, "Not you, my sweet babies," but knew she could not for they would have all been better off if they had never known her.

"_It's not that I don't want to live --  
That I don't want a real chance  
At the world around us all,  
At family, friendship, and love --  
For Gods know I do  
But that I can't._

_I don't know why they have to be so stubborn.  
I always wanted to be believed before,  
But never like this,  
Never by such wonderful people  
So determinedly placing their lives in danger  
For me, a lowly being who's never deserved such._

_Why can't they see  
The other side of the truth?  
Why can't they accept  
That he is not the only evil?  
That if I'd only not lived that day,  
None would ever have died  
Because of me._"

Blue cooed to her, but Crys shook her head and explained her reasoning to him in song.

"_Perhaps they would have,  
In some form or another,  
At his power, at his strength,  
But not for simply knowing me  
And not for being my friend._

_As it is,  
Millions have died because of me.  
Some were foolish enough  
To befriend me while  
Never knowing the danger  
My selfish, worthless hide  
Put them in.  
Others had never even met me._"

She looked at her familiars through eyes blurred by tears.

"_You all remember that day,  
The day we woke to find it snowing  
And knew he was coming.  
The day we ran so desperately  
To get away  
While the entire city  
Was iced all around us._

_Adults, children, babies;  
Humans, Vampires, Demons, animals;  
None of them mattered to him.  
If they moved, he shattered them.  
If they breathed that day,  
They breathed their last.  
All because of me._

_They tell me I'm safe;  
I know they believe it.  
They tell me they can take him,  
And I know they believe that, too.  
But I also know they're wrong._"

Her choked voice was becoming but a whisper now as tears poured down her cheeks.

"_They tell me it's not my fault,  
But they don't know.  
They don't know what it's like  
To see so many killed,  
Strangers and friends alike,  
And know it's all your fault._

_They don't know what it's like  
To be thrown out of your home,  
Forbidden to ever come back,  
Because your family believes  
A monster over you.  
They don't know what it's like  
To have a monster force you  
To be just as evil as he is._

_They would say I'm wrong,  
But I know I'm not.  
All I had to do to save  
All those who he's killed   
Because of me  
Was to let him do what he wanted  
Or simply never go with him  
That day to begin with._

_But because of me,  
Because of my stupidity,   
My ignorance,  
My stupid belief in humanity,  
In family,   
Millions are dead._

_And if I can't find a way to get out of this,   
Others will die.  
I can't let that happen.  
I can't let him take  
Lorne . . .  
Angel . . .  
Any of them . . . _

_I can't let him kill them.  
I can't.  
I can't._"

She was shaking like a leaf caught in a hurricane now, and her last words were murmured into Blue's wings as they folded around her face in a gentle, loving hug. She fell to her knees, lost in her emotions for the sad beauty of her song had failed her completely. Cindy and Elvira joined Blue in hugging her, and she clung to them while simultaneously hating herself more than she ever had before and knowing that she had to find a way to save not only Lorne and Angel but them, as well. She had to find a way to leave them.

* * *

From deep within the music, Brendan started to come back to reality. He was led there by Prue's scent, and his nose started to twitch as he inhaled it. He stilled suddenly, his hands freezing in mid-air, and his eyes snapped open. "Prue?" He could not see her but knew she was there.

She heard him call her name. Part of her wanted to reveal herself, but part of her was scared. What if he was mad because she had caught him? She held herself very still, hoping for once that he'd lose interest in her.

"Prue," Brendan called again, "I know you're here." Pushing his drums away, he slowly got to his feet.

Her heart beating ninety miles a minute, she thought fleetingly that she should run. Her feet felt like lead, however, and wouldn't do what her mind told them to do. She was frozen in place as she could hear him coming closer.

It did not take Brendan long to spot Prue for her scent led him straight to the window. Opening it, he peered out and found himself gazing at her fear-filled face. He sighed, knowing that she should be just as afraid of him as she appeared to be. Though his fingers ached to reach out, caress her beautiful face, and chase her fears away, he started to pull himself back instead.

It was then that Prue's brain reminded her that Brendan would take her fear the wrong way. She might lose the little bit of ground that she had gained with him, because he'd think that she feared him and didn't want to be near him. "Brendan?" she called out to him. "Don't go. I didn't mean to snoop. I just couldn't help myself. I saw them earlier, and I knew it had to be you! I didn't want you to be angry at me because I found out."

Though he had pulled out of the window and was standing erect again, he could not help but to hear her. "I could never be angry with you," he spoke softly, "but it is best that you fear me."

"I don't fear you, Brendan," she said with a small shake of her head even though he couldn't see it. "I just feared your anger. I don't want you angry at me. I promise I won't tell any one. Won't you open the door?"

At her request, Brendan started to head for the door but stopped when he caught sight of the painting that hung on his wall. He fell silent for a long moment as he stared at its dark colorings, remembering why he could not let her in . . . neither to his cabin nor into his heart.

"Brendan?" Prue called when she had not heard from him for what seemed like forever. She had gotten to her feet. "I'm not leaving. I know it's too soon. The Captain told me not to even bother you today, but one thing has just led to another and we seem to be closer. I'm going to sit on the bench outside your window so I can at least be near you. You don't have to come out. Your music is beautiful!" She sat on the bench.

Her words coupled with the sweet aroma of her natural scent tore at his heart. He ached to be near her and longed to be able to hold her but knew that they could never be. "It's my fault," he found himself whispering aloud, his eyes still glued to the painting.

"No, it's not. Just think. We have managed to be around each other for a couple of hours and you haven't wolfed. That's a good sign. Don't blame yourself because I snuck up on you."

"That was one thing," he managed, "but I should have stayed away. I know better. I don't want you in danger."

"It's a little too late for that," she replied with a small bit of laughter in her voice. "You're not the danger I was in today. I've been around danger all my life. Your people saved me. You did not endanger me. It's nice sitting like this, although it would be nicer if you were out here with me. Still, being able to be this close to you helps a lot."

"But it's not wise," he protested gently, "for either of us."

"Who's to say what is or isn't wise?" she answered him. "We have but one life to live, and we should listen to our hearts more often. Our brains tell us it's dangerous and to stay away, but my heart says I love you and I'm not going to stay away although I will allow a distance between us for your comfort." Her voice trailed off. She didn't expect him to say that his heart was attracted to hers or anything romantic, but he wasn't hiding or running away and, for now, that was enough. She leaned back against the window casing, listening for any movement he might make.

"Our hearts only endanger our lives," Brendan told her sadly. "It's always better to listen to our brains, because they know the truth. They know what can and can not be if we are to live." Without hurting others, he concluded his thought silently.

"What are we doing now, Brendan? My heart's singing out to yours. Don't you hear it? My brain is telling me to forget it, but my heart won't let me. I have to be patient, and I will be even though it's the hardest thing I've ever done. You are well worth it."

He paused. He needed to convince her that she was better off without him even though to lose what little they were able to have between them would make him want to shrivel away and die. "Prue . . . " he spoke slowly, his voice sounding strange as he fought through the emotions that clogged his throat, " . . . I'd like you to come in. I want to show you something."

She got eagerly to her feet. She had no clue what would happen in the next few minutes, but she didn't, for even one moment, consider that Brendan might attack her. She believed in him, whether he believed in himself or not. She watched as the door slowly opened and stepped inside as soon as it was wide enough. She heard it close behind her.

Brendan paced the room nervously as he walked to stand back before the painting. "I want you to look at this."

"I saw it earlier; I couldn't help but to stare at it. Wesley told me that you had painted it. Those are your nightmares and worst fears." She turned to look at him, not realizing until she did so how close he was to her. "Those are the things that you fear will come out of you; I don't believe that they will."

He shook his head slowly, trying desperately to ignore the closeness of their bodies. "They are not merely my nightmares or fears, Prue," he told her in a soft, quiet voice, his eyes focused on the painting as he fought to keep his gaze away from her luscious body. "That is reality. The blackness," he held his hand up so that his fingers pointed toward the spots he indicated, "are my kind. The red is the blood of yours. _That_ is reality."

"But not our reality, Brendan." Her voice was soft as she moved even closer to him. "Not even the reality that you know any more. That is your past. Together, we can overcome it." Her eyes were locked on his, and with every sense of her being, she was willing him to want her and to give their love a chance. "Don't be fearful, my love. I'm not afraid of you. I may be afraid of your Demons, but I won't run from you."

"Prue, my Demons are me. I _am_ the wolf. What you see before you is only a charade, and Gods only know how long or short it might last at any given time. That is my past, but it is also my future and the only one I will ever have." He wanted to look at her but did not wish her to see the sadness that he could feel in his eyes. He was also afraid that one direct look would be too much and that he might reach out toward her, thus taking her closer to her death.

She moved even closer to him. "I am yours, Brendan. You have but to reach out and touch me. I will not leave you. I do not fear you. Give me the wolf. I can talk to him. I did not know it, but I have the gift. I talked to Elvira today."

His eyes finally fell to hers in surprise. Surely she knew better than the nonsense she was now sprouting? "Elvira is not a Werewolf. Her lover is, but she is not."

"Not her. Elvira, the wolf! Crys' pet."

His mouth fell open as he stared at her. She had actually talked to a wolf? "And . . . " he finally managed to get out. "And she understood you?"

"Oh, yes! She and I had a regular conversation! Crys says it's because I'm in love with a Werewolf which is you," she stated with a little half-smile. "So if I can talk to her, I should be able to talk to your wolf."

Brendan shook his head, refusing to believe. "Crystal's wolf is not wild, and she certainly is no Werewolf. She's gentle; that may well be why she understood. You'd barely manage to get a word out before the Werewolf . . . " He could not bring himself to finish his thought aloud but knew that the beast would kill, and probably eat, the wonderful woman before him, the only woman who had ever touched him as she did with but a breath from her tender lips.

"What if we're not alone when I talk to the wolf? Would you be willing to try it then?"

Brendan was already shaking his head as he stumbled back a step. "I will not endanger you!" He would never willingly let her near his wolf, not for talking or for Wolf's insane suggestion that he allow her to make love to the beast!

She faced him, anger showing in her eyes. "So you just want to throw our love away, or maybe you don't love me after all? I mean, I can understand it if it's just me and I'm putting my attentions on you when you don't want them. Tell me that honestly. Look me in my eyes, and tell me that you don't want me. If you can do that without looking away, I'll go away."

If he could get her to leave, that would save her from him. He gazed at Prue for a long time, willing his mouth to force the words out though knowing the entire time that he could not. Finally shaking his head in frustration, he growled as he turned from her. "I will not lie to you."

"Then anything that will help us is worth a shot! We have to do this thing, Brendan, or we'll die without each other!" She reached out and gently touched him on the back. "Don't turn away from me, love. I am just as frustrated as you are, if not more, but I'm willing to do anything. Are you willing to try this? Jack can be with you to knock you out if you get out of control, and I'll get Elvira and Wolf as well."

Gods knew he wanted to be able to be with her and to have a chance with her, but he knew that that would never be possible. "No," he told her. "I will not place you into danger, Prue! One of these days or nights, when Jack tries to knock me out, I'll probably end up killing even him! It's bad enough that I'm a constant danger to every one around me! I won't endanger you!"

She threw herself at him, her arms going around his back and hugging him gently. "I can't force you, Brendan, and I promise not to bother you any more until you come seeking me, but know that I'll pray for you every day and I'll be waiting for the chance, any chance, to be with you, my love!" She released him, turned, and ran from the cabin.

Brendan turned after her, his hands reaching out toward her fleeing form. He wanted to stop her and call her back to him but knew that if he did, he'd end up killing her. Sadness engulfed him. As he sank to his knees on the deck, his head threw back in a long, anguished howl. Tears ran down his cheeks.

* * *

Jack lay very still. He had hopes that Will had gone to sleep as he had not moved in a long time. It felt good just to hold him, and he snuggled into him, breathing in his scent. Still Will did not move. It was then that his ears caught a howl, and he recognized it at once as Brendan! He had no ideal what was wrong with his friend. The full moon still was two days away, so he knew he was not changing unless Prue had gotten to him. He had watched her during dinner and had not seen anything about to get out of hand, but he also had not seen them separate later as he and Will had gone to their cabin. "Will," he murmured, "I've gotta go."

Will had not fallen asleep but was simply enjoying being held by Jack. "Go?" he repeated, his confusion clear in his voice. "Go where, love?"

"See a seadog about a wooden leg."

Will's eyes shot open at that. "Huh!"

"Bathroom," Jack clarified.

"_Oh._" Reluctantly, Will rolled off of him. "Hurry back." The bed already felt cold without Jack's arms around him.

"I won't be gone long. Miss me while I'm gone?" he asked hopefully while gazing at Will.

Turning to face his beloved, Will reached a hand up and brushed Jack's cheek. "I already do."

Jack smiled but moved back out of Will's reach. Jack pulled his boots on and hoped that Will would not notice as he reached for the cane that stood beside them. He knew that he could not alert Will to the danger he was about to go into for he would surely be just as stubborn as he had been with Faith. Jack held the cane close to his body and walked stiff-legged toward the door. He turned around, slipping the cane behind his back as he did so. Smiling at Will one last time, he eased out and shut the door. He then ran like crazy to Brendan's cabin.

When Jack reached Brendan's cabin, he immediately noted that the door was open and the window unlatched; both things warned Jack at once that Brendan was having a moment. Jack entered carefully, holding the cane at ready, only to be confronted with Brendan on the floor, crying so hard that his muscular shoulders shook. "Brendan?" Jack called.

Brendan looked up at Jack and could barely make his dearest friend's form out for the tears that ran in his eyes. The question of why he must live such a miserable, wretched life rose in his throat, but he knew he could not ask him that.

"Come; sit down over here," Jack directed him, pulling out a chair. "I haven't seen you this distraught in a long while. What happened? I knew I shouldn't have let Prue sit with you at the dinner table!"

"I asked her to," Brendan admitted, hauling himself up off of the deck and stumbling as he walked toward the chair Jack offered. "Blame me, Jack, not her. It's my fault. I'm the idiot that invited her; I'm the one who should be tanned!"

"Don't talk like that, Brendan! If I had some rum, I'd share it with you. It'd help things." Brendan opened his mouth to deny the fact that Jack believed in, but Jack hurried on, "You and Prue belong together, but you've got some mighty big hills to climb. You seemed happy enough at dinner. What happened?" he asked him again.

"She found me." Brendan's eyes suddenly shot wide as he realized that his drums had been left out in the open and that Jack would surely see them.

"So you're the unknown drummer?" Jack observed as his eyes followed Brendan's. "You bring a lot of good music out of those drums. Don't worry; I won't tell any one it's you. You say Prue found you? What were you doing?"

Brendan inclined his head toward the drums. "It gets worse too." He shook his head. "I'm such an idiot!"

"Come on, Brendan. Tell me what happened. How could it get worse? You didn't eat her. You're not wolfed out. Where is she?"

"We talked, and I . . . I invited her in, Jack!"

Jack almost said "oh no". Instead, he remained quiet, not wanting to upset Brendan even more. "What happened then?"

"I showed her the painting," Brendan gestured toward the painting that stood as a constant reminder to him.

"Don't tell me. She freaked out when she saw it."

Brendan shook his head. "No. That's what I was trying to get her to do. I hoped that might make her realize that I'm too dangerous for her and that she doesn't really want a monster." He shook his head again. "But it didn't work. It backfired! She still wants me, Jack, but Gods know I can't have her! I can't even let her near the wolf! And would you believe that she wants to _talk_ to it!"

"Brendan, did you ever talk to Wolf and find out how he fixed his problem?"

Brendan nodded. "But I can't do that! I'd kill her!"

"What? What was it?"

Brendan's stormy eyes peered into Jack's. "The way he gained control was to have a Gypsy . . . hum . . . do _that_," he said, hoping that Jack would understand his intention, "to his wolf!"

"Wolf mated with a Gypsy? Was he in love with her?"

Brendan nodded.

"Well, Prue's not a Gypsy, but it might work any way. Don't tell me, Brendan," Jack said, gazing at his friend. "You're not willing to try it."

"Of course I'm not! What are you thinking, Jack! I'd kill her!"

"How? You're not that big, even in wolf form!"

"It would eat her!"

"I think it could work," Jack persisted, "under the right conditions. You would have to be heavily guarded. I'd be there, of course, with my cane." He showed Brendan that he indeed had it in tow even as he folded it up and put it in his pocket. "Wolf could be there. So could Elvira and any one else of your choosing. Some one would need to talk to Prue about it, of course. I know you're not going to say anything," he said almost as an after-thought. "I can talk to her, explain it to her, and see what she has to say about it."

Brendan was staring at Jack as though he had taken complete leave of his senses. "Are you insane!" he growled, his eyes flashing. "Don't you dare talk to her about that! I will never put her in that kind of danger!"

"With all of us around, she wouldn't be in that much danger. I can even get silver chains and wrap you in them, which renders your wolf harmless."

"Nothing renders that monster harmless. I won't let her be hurt, Jack!"

"So you're going to spend the rest of your life wanting the woman and not doing anything about it? Brendan, that's not like you! You've always been a bit quiet but very courageous. Are you telling me that you're now going to just give up without a fight?"

Brendan stared at Jack for a long moment before finally asking him, "Jack, why do you think Helvira managed to hold me for so long? I never tried to fight her."

"This is different, Brendan. You're not fighting a woman; you're fighting _for_ a woman! Would it be such an insult to your manhood if your woman did it with your wolf first?"

Brendan stared at Jack for a long while, his eyes cutting daggers through the man he'd thought he could trust. Was _every one_ insane! Did they not understand that he was fighting for a woman, fighting to protect a woman who he deeply cared for, more indeed than he ever had for any other living being? Did _no one_, not even the man who called him "brother", understand? Finally, he looked away. "I think it best you leave, Captain."

"Brendan, I am not leaving until we get this settled. I will not do anything about what I am suggesting to you without your permission. I am just trying to give you something to think about. I am willing to stand with you and fight your monster to give you a chance with this woman. If she loves you enough, she will do anything to be with you. Has she not told you that?"

"She did," he responded, "and I told her the same thing I'm telling you now. I _won't_ do it. I _won't_ put her in that danger!"

"You won't put _her_ in that danger, Brendan, or you won't put _yourself_ in danger of letting go for the first time in your life and allowing yourself to love? I love you, Brendan, like a brother, and it hurts me to see you going through this! If I could take it away from you, I would. If I could make it happen by some miracle, I would. But I can't. I can only be there for you, but you have to let me be." He reached out and gripped Brendan's shoulder. "And you alone are the only one that will know when you're ready."

"Jack, what part of impossible don't you understand?"

"Anything's possible, Brendan. Up until today, I would have thought that there were many things that were impossible, but with Will by my side, anything is possible. We are together at last, and although we have a lot of obstacles to overcome, we are together, and that's what counts. I believe you and your lady will be together one day. I _believe_ in _you_."

"You shouldn't," Brendan told him quietly. "Jack, I know you mean well, that you, Wolf, Angel, even Prue . . . All of you mean well, but you don't know what it's like to have a monster inside you. I won't let her be hurt by that. Every time I wolf out, I even put _you_ in danger. If we were trying that and I got out of control, she wouldn't be the only one I'd kill. I'd kill you all, and I won't let that happen! I'd rather tear myself limb from limb first!"

"Brendan, you are very frustrating," Jack informed him. "I can't deny any of your words, but when your friends are all willing to take a chance, can you do any less?"

Brendan finally looked back at him. He had stopped crying now, and his eyes blazed with fierce determination instead. "When that would be willingly endangering you all? Yes, Jack. _Yes_ a _million_ times over."

"Very well, Brendan, but I want you to think about it. Don't throw this opportunity away, because I won't approach you with it again. Just know that we will all be ready when you are." He got up and walked out the door. He figured that Brendan would probably throw something against it when he shut it but did not look back. He had to be tough on Brendan or he knew he'd never overcome his fears.

Left alone, Brendan's sigh echoed in the still room. He turned his head to look back at the painting. "I really hate you sometimes," he whispered to himself.

* * *

Lorne had run quickly in the direction that he had smelled Crys. He slowed as he got nearer and could tell that she was singing. Her words made tears run from his eyes. He wanted to go to her and hold her. His hands clenched helplessly at his side. He didn't know what to do. He had never been really good with words with women, and he knew words of love would not do anything to help her at this time. He felt that her singing might help ease the pain in her heart.

If he could just get his hands on Frostbite, he would tear him into a million shreds and then drop them, one by one, in front of Crys so that she could see that her enemy was dead. Unfortunately, however, he knew he was not a match for her uncle. He could only hope that between Angel and himself, they could find a way to end Crys' nightmare.

He saw Blue enfold her in a hug and wished that he could come closer so that he, too, could hug her, but for now, he had to stay in the shadows and watch helplessly. If she made a move to hurt herself, he was close enough to stop her. He didn't know why he had fallen in love with Crystal when he had first seen her, but he knew that it was not because of Aphrodite's meddlings.

He was searching rapidly through his mind for a song he could sing to her but waited for her to finish hers. Then he saw her break into tears, and he eased gently forward. "Crys?" his voice spoke her name caressingly. Her babies moved just slightly enough away from her so that he could reach down for her. He pulled her into his arms.

Though she knew she had to leave him, Crystal did not struggle. Instead, she clung to Lorne, her tears soaking his jacket's shoulder. She was relieved that he did not try again to talk her into believing what she knew could never be, but her tears increased even more as she knew she had to leave him.

He might not be able to do anything else at this time but provide comfort, but that Lorne was more than willing to do. He held her while the night breeze whispered a tune of love just for the two of them.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	39. Chapter Thirtyeight

**Chapter Thirty-eight**

Jack walked slowly along the deck, looking out to sea and feeling the night breezes caress his face. Heedless to how much time had passed between his supposed trip to the bathroom and his not returning to the cabin, his mind did not dwell on what Will might do when he didn't return. He could hear the music coming from the Witch yet it did not cheer his heart. What was he to do? He had a half crazy Werewolf in love, an insane girl hell-bent on hurting herself, and a man who he loved more than anything else in life yet who he was failing miserably! He knew he probably should go and hunt Lex up. That man would be sure to hold the answers to some of the questions tormenting Jack's mind.

He had been just about to go in search of Lex when something fell out of the night sky, barely missing hitting him on the head, and then took off again. It was a bird startled from its resting place. He peered anxiously upward at the rigging, wondering who could be up there. "Ahoy! Who's there?" he called.

He swung over to the Witch and almost fell over Faith's clothes where she'd left them in a puddle. They were surrounded by glittering, smashed glass. He figured the "who" was Faith, but why he had no clue. "Faith, what are you doing up there?" he called anxiously.

"Why the Hell should you care?" the answer came from far above his head.

"You know I do. Why I haven't a clue," Jack admitted, speaking almost to himself. "Why are you up there naked, and what is this smashed all around? A person could get cut terribly."

"Tell me about it," Faith muttered, "and as for why I'm up here, I'm up here because I want to be."

"But naked? You usually don't run naked everywhere!"

"I do what the fuck I want to!" she retorted, climbing still higher.

"What did you smash down here?"

"A bottle."

"Rum?" he asked hopefully. "Do you have rum up there?"

"Hell no! I wouldn't bother with that weak stuff! Try some tequila. It might do ya good. Actually, screw that. You don't deserve any!"

"Now, Faith, I couldn't exactly put the boy off to be killed. I have every intention of having him get off in Tortuga. Would you have had him killed, and really, when did I have the time to get totally rid of him? Things have been happening much too fast."

"Don't worry," she called, which only made Jack's brow crease in worry. "I'll make it easy on ya! We hit Tortuga, I'm outta here!"

"Faith, why do you want to leave us in Tortuga? Have we not been getting along really well together despite our differences?"

"Can't trust a Captain who doesn't make sure his damn orders are followed," she called back to him. "We had a deal, Jack! You told me you'd get rid of the kid; I told you I'd help you with the Governor. I did my part, but you failed me."

"I HAVEN'T HAD TIME!" he yelled back at her. "I'M NOT GOD! I CAN'T BE IN TWO PLACES AT ONCE!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME! BUT DID YOU? NO! ACTUALLY, I BET YOU WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN TOLD ME IF YOU'D KNOWN!"

"Faith, if I had found the boy, I still would have put him off in Tortuga, not Port Royal. I am not in the habit of killing innocents!"

"You could've shipped him off on another ship!"

"Tell me when I had the chance! He would have only been on the Pearl! I didn't have time to get him on anybody else's ship! That bloody bastard was after us!"

"I don't care if you had it or not! It doesn't change the fact! When we hit land, I'm gone!"

"I APOLOGIZE FOR SCREWING UP!" Jack yelled back up at her. "I CAN'T BE ALL THINGS TO EVERYBODY! I'M ONLY A MAN!"

"Correction," Faith called. "You're only a bastard!"

"And that too!" Jack answered her. "All I can do is try, and a lot of the time I screw up! Don't you have anything left to drink down here?"

"tequila," Faith answered him with a burp.

"Damn! I want some rum! I need some rum! I deserve some rum!"

"You wanna know what you deserve?"

"Probably not, Faith, but I'm sure I'm gonna hear it any way!" He began to search around on the deck for a bottle of tequila, being careful not to get in the glass.

"A good, swift kick in the ass!"

"Come down here, and give me one! It can't hurt any worse than what I'm feeling now!" His searching hand had finally found the bottle of tequila, and he popped the top off of it, brought it swiftly to his lips, and took a swig. "Damn! How do you drink this stuff! It's strong enough to take the bark off a tree!"

"Yup!" Faith called back. "That's exactly _why_ I drink it, and I'll give you the kick when I come down which'll be when _I'm_ damn good and ready!"

"You do that," Jack told her, lifting the tequila bottle in a salute toward her. Then he took another swig.

"I will," Faith promised him, "but what the fuck's your problem? Not that I care," she quickly added.

"I'm lost! I'm doomed! I don't have the foggiest clue!" His voice trailed off as he took another swig.

Her eyes rolled heavenward. "Tell me something new?"

"I've tried to do everything I can to help those I care about," his voice came floating up to Faith. "I failed Brendan, you, and Prue," he hiccupped, "but, most importantly, Will!"

"You didn't fail me," Faith told him. "I never asked you to try whatever you think you failed! In fact, I would've kicked your ass for doing it!"

"Couldn't even get rid of that kid for you. Not much of a man." He sat on the deck and drained the bottle.

"You can say that again!"

"You got another one of these?" Jack asked.

"Sure," she called. "There's a shittload down there. Help yourself."

Jack's groping hand located another bottle. "I just don't know what to do any more," his voice was thickened with the drink. "I can hold him. I can kiss him. But I don't know what the Hell to do after that!"

"What do you mean you don't know?" Faith called in disbelief. "You don't know how to fuck him?"

"Right! I mean, with a woman, you're different, but a man's the same. Where does it go?" He took another swig, laying back against the wall of the ship.

"Well, I don't know how two men do it," Faith admitted. "You'd have to ask that damn Luthor about that. But there's always a blowjob."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Jack and Faith, Dawson had been laying in the shadows and listening. When he heard "blowjob", his mouth fell open. What the Hell was that! He hadn't had one of those yet, or at least, he thought he hadn't. Would it be fun, or would Faith bite him? That could be fun, too! he thought.

* * *

Lex had been walking around searching for Faith and had only now heard shouts and come upon the scene. He couldn't help but to stare at Jack who was sprawled against the wall, drunker than Lex had ever seen him. "Captain?" he asked worriedly even as he drew closer to Jack. "Can I do something to help you?"

Jack looked up with a silly grin on his face. "Well, I'll be damned! Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear! Hello, Lex!"

Lex, not sure how to respond, said, "Hello, Captain. Can I help you to your cabin?"

"HELL NO! I'M NOT GOING IN THERE! YOU'RE GOING TO HELP ME DO SOMETHING ELSE!"

"YEAH," Faith called, "YOU'RE GONNA HELP HIM FUCK WILL!"

Lex's head jerked upward at the garbled sound of Faith's voice that he could barely make out, and he kept looking higher and higher until he located Faith by the moonlight shining on her naked rear. "FAITH, WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP THERE!" Lex called worriedly up to her. "DON'T YOU THINK IT'S TIME TO COME DOWN AND PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON?"

"DOWN, YEAH, MAYBE. I DID REACH THE TOP, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GET ANY FURTHER WITH YOU DORKS SCREWING AROUND DOWN THERE. BUT FUCK THE CLOTHES."

* * *

Wolverine had been walking around, checking out the ship and making sure that they were safe for the night, when he had heard voices and found three people he would never have expected to see gathered together in the dark. He had been just in time to hear Faith tell Lex he was going to fuck Jack. It had come out in garble, and that was the only thing he could make out of what she was saying. This would never do! He looked at Jack, who was sprawled against the floor and wall. "What the Hell hit you?"

Jack grinned up at him. "tequila. Want some?" He waved the bottle at him.

"Don't mind if I do," Wolverine replied. "All of you are out here getting drunk; I might as well help myself. Where's another bottle?" He looked at the almost empty bottle Jack was holding out to him. "How many of those have you had, Jack?"

"Two, I think. I'm not sure!"

"TWO?" Faith repeated. "THEN YOU'RE WELL ON YOUR WAY, CAPT'N," she called tauntingly. "ONE tequila, TWO tequila, THREE tequila, FLOOR, YOU KNOW? I'M ON MY THIRD, AND I'M COMING DOWN!" With that said, she simply released the rigging and let herself drop. "WATCH OUT BELOW!"

Dawson could not believe it when Faith simply let go and fell out of the rigging. She landed right on top of Wolverine, knocking him to the floor. Dawson still did not reveal himself although he wanted to crawl out of there and pull her off of him.

Lex had not had a single chance to do anything as everything had happened too fast, not even respond to Faith accusing him of doing it with Jack. He was about to speak when another voice was heard calling, "JACK? JACK, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Don't tell him," Jack whispered. "I don't want him drunk, and I don't want him to see me drunk!"

"WE'RE OVER HERE!" Wolverine hollered, laying on his back on the floor and pushing at Faith in hopes that she was going to get off of him.

Faith lay where she landed but called quickly back to Will, "DON'T BRING YOUR DAMN ASS OVER HERE! I'M NAKED!"

"BUT WOLVERINE SAID 'WE'," Will called back in confusion.

"YEAH, ME NAKED AND HIM DRUNK! YOU _REALLY_ WANNA KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING?"

Lex stood quietly in the dark, shaking his head. He could not believe the fiasco before him!

"NO, NO!" Will quickly returned. "HAVE YOU SEEN JACK?"

"AIN'T SEEN HIM," Faith told him, "AND HE BETTER BE DAMN GLAD I HVAEN'T 'CAUSE I'D RUN HIM THROUGH! FUCKING BASTARD BETRAYED ME!"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM THAT WAY!"

"YOU WANNA COME TRY AND STOP ME?"

"Faith," Jack whispered to her, "you'd best not hurt Will!"

In the darkness, Faith winked down at Jack from her perch on Wolverine. "Not my plan, birdie." Aloud, she called back to Will, "ALL RIGHT! BRING IT ON! I'LL JUST HAVE TO KICK YOUR BUTT NAKED!"

There was a pause before Will finally asked, "YOU WON'T PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON?"

"IF YOU'RE MAN ENOUGH TO FIGHT ME, YOU'RE MAN ENOUGH TO FIGHT A NAKED BITCH!"

"I WON'T FACE YOU NAKED, FAITH."

"THEN KEEP MOVING, MOUSE BOY!" There was a long pause that was finally interrupted by Will's footsteps as he walked away.

Jack looked balefully up at Lex. "Well, Luthor, teach me."

"Not when you're drunk, Jack! I will not! You will not touch Will when you're drunk! It's not right for the first time you two do it, it should be perfect. There should be no liquor in you." He stared disdainfully down at Jack. "You might be a friend and my Captain, but right now, I'm ashamed of you."

"Come on; we're going to get some coffee into you." He reached down, picked Jack up as though he didn't weigh anything, and carried him straight to the Witch's galley. It was empty. Setting Jack down at one of the tables, he went about making coffee. "Now, my friend, you're going to sober up and tell me what your problems are. I don't know if I can help them go away, but I can help you to face them."

Jack looked disdainfully down at the coffee. "Do I have to drink that?"

"Yes," Lex told him firmly, "to the last drop."

* * *

Lex and Jack had left Faith alone with Wolverine, or so she thought. She reached down and poked at Wolverine's chest. "You know, for a short guy, you're kind of comfy."

"Get off of me, bit! What do you think 'Ro would think if she caught you sitting on me! As much as I like ya, Faith, I don't wanna lose my woman over ya!"

"Please," Faith returned. "Like I'd ever screw you! You're not my type!"

"What is your type?"

"Figured you knew. I'm Faith: Virgin Slayer," she proudly made her introduction.

"So that's why you never give second rides? What happens if the first ride ain't a virgin?"

"I can tell a virgin a mile away."

"And what would cause you to give a second ride?"

"I don't," she told him, looking away into the very shadows Dawson was hiding though never realizing he was there. "It's against my rules." She hiccupped. Finally getting off of Wolverine, she finished her bottle, tossed it away, and set to searching for a fourth. "One more, and I'm out."

"What if they owed you a debt they couldn't pay? How would you take it out of their hide?"

She set back on the heels of her boots and turned her bloody face to face Wolverine. "Depends. What are you talking about?"

"Well, I think there's a certain man aboard that you sent a bag of clothes to. He can't pay you for 'em. Don't you expect payment of some kind?"

Faith shrugged. "Wan't thinking about that when I grabbed them." She cocked her head to one side, a thoughtful look suddenly falling over her face. "But that might help."

"What might help?"

She eyed Wolverine warily. "You ever catch a virus that you just couldn't shake?"

"Yeah, it's called 'Ro. I don't wanna shake it."

"Well, I _want_ to shake mine."

"Then do something about it."

"I've been trying." She gestured to her face. "Why the Hell do you think I look like this? But a second ride might get him out of my system."

"Think about it, Faith; see ya tomorrow." Wolverine walked off into the darkness, knowing that if Faith thought about it, it was only one step away from her acting on it. Now he had to go check on Jack, the idiot. Why had he gotten drunk? Removing the rum had not done any good, but he was thankful to whoever had done it. Now if he could just find the rest of that damn tequila and get rid of it.

Faith watched Wolverine go, then stretched out on the deck. Her mind pondered his suggestion even as her hand groped around in the darkness for the fourth bottle she needed, yet while she was still contemplating rather a second ride would get Dawson out of her system or make matters even worse, her mind turned back to the memories that were insistent upon haunting her that night. It was at just that time that her hand closed on the fourth bottle, but she realized suddenly that it would do her no good. "Not even the damn tequila works," she muttered, picking the bottle up and throwing it against the wall.

Dawson cringed at the sound the bottle made as it crashed against the wall. What was the matter with Faith now? Had the bottle been empty? He watched to see what Faith would do next.

She rolled over onto her back and gazed up through vision clouded by both tears that she fought against and her drunken state. "You're having a fucking good laugh, aren't you, bitch?" She reached out and let her good hand run over the glass that was scattered across the deck. "I'll see you in Hell one of these days."

Dawson wanted to run out and pull her out of the glass. Instead, he crept out, hoping to get closer to her and find a way to get her out of the glass. She lay in it. It seemed to be everywhere, and he knew she was getting cut from its sharp edges. "Faith?" he called to her.

She had heard a sound and had been about to warn Carl that she would gut him like a fish when Dawson called to her instead. She bristled at the sound of his voice. Dare she face him now? "Kid," she returned nonchalantly.

"Whatcha doing? You wanting to cut the rest of your body, rolling around in that glass?"

She shrugged, part of her shoulder moving right into a shard. "Don't care," she replied, "and don't try to tell me you do."

He had been about to do just that but decided to try a different tactic. "Nnno, it's up to you what you do. Just wanted you to know you were laying in glass in case you didn't know."

"I'm not an idiot," she told him. "I know about the glass; hell, I'm the one who put it there."

"I figured that much, but I thought you might like to get up and come over here. I've got another bottle." He had almost kicked the bottle, not realizing what it was. He now reached down and held it up. "It's full."

She glanced over at him through watery eyes. "Even that's fucking me over tonight. It won't do me any good. Hell, the fourth one'd probably bring it even closer to mind instead of taking me to the floor -- "

"You're already in the floor," he reminded her.

She glanced around. "Guess I am." She shrugged again, pain slicing through her left shoulder. "But I'm not out."

"No, but this one'll do the job," he told her. "Come over here, and I'll give it to you." If he could just get her out of the glass and get the glass out of her, maybe things could get better, he hoped. He wagged the bottle at her.

She watched him for a moment. "Hell, it can't hurt anything. I'm leaving when we hit land any fucking way." Had she said that aloud? She didn't know and told herself she didn't care even as she rolled to a standing position and began to stumble toward him.

"Why do you want to leave?"

"It's been coming for a while," she told him. "Best thing for all involved." She reached him, held a hand out for the bottle, but missed. Her hand found a resting place on his chest instead.

He stood still, waiting for her to make another move. "If you want the bottle, Faith, sit down here," he indicated a low bench that ran against the wall, "and I'll give it to you." He held it out enticingly toward her.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. Was he trying to tell her what to do? Yet that was not the comment that escaped her mouth. "You know you owe me?"

"I do?" Dawson asked innocently. "I don't have any money. I guess you'll have to take it out in trade." He handed her the bottle.

She pressed the bottle back toward him. "Yeah," she replied, her bleary eyes peering at him, "ya do. What? Did you think Birdboy stole all those clothes and everything?"

"No, he told me they were from you. I figured you'd be around to collect the debt sooner or later."

She managed to keep from telling him that she had never intended to place him in her debt. "You figured right for once," she fingered his shirt, "and I'm here to do just that, kid."

"Well, I'm willing. What do you want me to do?" he queried.

She looked at him through narrowed eyes as if truly taking the question into consideration. "You don't have much," she told him, "but there is one thing I might be interested in." Without warning, her hand moved lower until her fingers brushed against his sword through his pants.

He closed his eyes and sighed. How he had longed for her to touch him! He stood very still, waiting for her next move. "Not here," he finally spoke. "Too much glass and I don't want to get cut, but anywhere else."

"Good boy," Faith whispered against his lips as she leaned in closer. She stopped suddenly and frowned as she looked down at him. "I'm doing it again," she observed, more to herself than him.

"Doing what again?" he questioned.

"Getting blood all over you," she answered with a shake of her head.

"If you'll let me take care of your wounds, then you won't be getting blood all over us."

"Why would I want you to take care of them? I did it on purpose."

"You cut yourself on purpose? Why?" Dawson could not believe that she had done it on purpose and thought it was the drink making her talk that way.

The drink was indeed having a strong effect on Faith, but it was making her reveal more truth to him than she ever would have knowingly. She nodded and teetered on her feet. "Helps to forget."

"There are other ways to forget, Faith," he reminded her gently. "What do you want to forget so badly?"

"Everything." She hiccupped. "You, Salem, them . . . Everything."

"Let me take care of your wounds, and we'll see if we can find another way that you can forget."

She held up a finger as she swayed. Looking at it cross-eyed, she wondered if it was truly three or the one she'd meant to hold up. "One ride, kid. That's it. Just one more."

"Okay," he agreed, "but not here. Name the place." He had to get her out of the glass before she cut herself more badly. "Where?"

She shrugged and simultaneously hiccupped again. "Don't matter."

Dawson remembered the place he had just come from. It was quiet, sheltered, and plenty of room for two. "Come this way, Faith. You'll like it there." He reached out for her hand and, once getting it, looked at it. It was covered in blood. "Faith, I really need to take care of your hand and your other wounds before we have this encounter. Will you let me take care of them?"

She eyed him. "The last time I was stupid enough to say 'yes' to that, kid, I got fucked over again."

"I didn't do it. You can trust me to help you."

"I can't trust any one, and you got a kick out of it."

"When?" Dawson queried in confusion.

"When that do-goody bitch, Katrina, tricked me and healed me."

"She cares about you, Faith. She just wants you to be well."

Faith barked a hoarse laugh. "You really are innocent."

"Maybe, but I still believe in people. Katrina really does care about you."

"No, she doesn't, and any one who would is an idiot."

"Then I guess we're all idiots," Dawson replied honestly, "because we really do care about you."

She glared at him. "I don't need any more lies."

"No lies, Faith. Just truth. We really care about you, but of course, you don't believe that. Who would ever care about Faith? you ask yourself while trying to push every one away, but you know what? We still care about you."

She had stopped walking now and started to pull away from him. "And you can damn well keep that bunch of shit."

"Okay, but I won't change my mind. Come in here; you'll like it in here," he told her as they had already reached the spot.

She eyed him warily. "I don't wanna hear any more of that crap, kid."

Dawson looked at her but didn't say anything. In the condition she was in, there would be no way to reason with her. Once inside the sheltered area, he turned to look at her. "Okay, Faith; here I am, waiting for you."

She continued to eye him, wondering if she was doing the smart thing. Shaking her head and shoving the doubts away as best she could, Faith entered after him. Turning to him, she cupped a hand around his cheek and pressed her lips to his . . . yet she found that she had to stop nearly as soon as she had began. She wiped at the blood that was on his cheek. "I can't let my blood get on you."

"Then let me take care of you," he requested reasonably. "It won't take long. I'm not going anywhere."

"To keep it off of you, not because you _think_ you care about me?"

"Yes, to keep it off of me. I don't want to get dirty." He twisted his face into a disgusted expression.

"About time the truth came out," she replied with a nod. "All right."

"Stay here; I'll get some bandages."

"Watch out for Wolfboy," she warned teasingly. "He might be hungry."

Dawson laughed. Brendan had been nothing but kind to him, and he knew Brendan would never hurt him. He raced to the sleeping quarters and walked inside where he saw a brown bottle and some bandages sitting on a shelf. He took them back to where he had left Faith. "This is gonna hurt, Faith. Brace yourself." He reached up, forced himself to pull the shard of glass out of her shoulder, and then began to pour the brown liquid into her wounds.

"Kid," Faith growled to him through gritted teeth, "this ain't nothing. This kind of pain, I like. It's the other that needs blocking."

He was very serious in doctoring her and didn't reply. He wasn't really sure what she was talking about. Pain was pain; it didn't matter if it was in the body or heart. Dawson knew it could do you in. When he had finished, he sat back on his heels. "Faith, I'm through. What's next?"

Instead of responding to him, Faith was staring at the wall with a mixture of anguish and sadness etched across her face. Her eyes were open but did not observe anything.

"Faith?" Dawson reached out, shook her arm, and was rewarded with a snore. "Damn! It figures!" he muttered even as he pulled her around to lay down. "I'll be back soon," he told her. He went back to the sleeping quarters where he left the medicine and threw away the gauze that he had cleaned her with. Then he went, fetched her clothes, and cleaned up the glass. He shook the clothes extra hard to make sure all the glass came out and then lay them beside her where she continued to sleep. She was murmuring in her sleep, but all he could make out was the occasional curse. He lay down beside her and pulled her close. It seemed that the only time he could hold her was when she was asleep; he was thankful for even that time.

* * *

Clark looked at the sleeping children and wondered what was taking Lex so long to return. He missed him terribly. He got up and walked outside the sleeping quarters just in time to hear Will calling for Jack. "I haven't seen Jack in a while," Clark told him. "Have you seen Lex?"

Will paused in his search long enough to glance at Clark and shake his head. His brow was creased with worry as he admitted, "In fact, the only ones I've even heard from were a drunk Wolverine and a naked Faith, and I've been out here a while."

"I can't just walk off and leave the children. Why don't you come and visit for a while? We can talk, get to know each other better. Maybe Lex will show up by then."

Will scanned the dark night as he considered Clark's offer. Finally, with a shrug, he accepted, "Well, it doesn't look like Jack even wants to show up."

"Jack's probably scared of you, Will," Clark said. "This is extremely new for both of you. He'll show up in a bit. I'm surprised Lex wasn't with Faith. He usually tries to help her when she's having one of her spells. You say she's naked?"

Will nodded. "It was the strangest thing," he admitted. "I was calling for Jack when Wolverine answered." He paused, thinking that he heard footsteps, but when he looked up, he didn't see any one and returned his attention to Clark. "He told me that Jack was with him, but when I started to go over there, I was warned off by Faith telling me that he was drunk, she was naked, and that if I didn't want to see what they were doing, I'd best not go any nearer." He looked up at Clark in puzzlement and was about to say something more when thunder suddenly split the night sky. His attention was drawn to it instead, and he missed the woman flying off.

"Looks like a storm's coming," Clark said, looking worriedly at the sky. "I wouldn't have gone any nearer to a naked Faith either. I don't like to see women naked. They're so gross! I guess it's all in what you're used to. I've never wanted any one but Lex."

Will nodded even as he slipped into the door that Clark was still holding open for him. "I can relate," he whispered. "I always thought I wanted Elizabeth, but when I met Jack, I realized just how foolish I'd been being."

"Lex had some one before me, so he had experience. I was glad of that as I didn't have a clue where to start. You're Jack's first, and I know he's totally lost. I hope he talks to Lex. Lex knows everything and is an expert at most things."

Will had to smile at the way Clark's face shone as he talked about his beloved, yet still he could not help worrying. "How _do_ you do it? With a man, I mean. I don't know about a woman, but I'm not interested in any woman. The only person I want is Jack."

"Well, there are several ways to do it. Sit on the bed. We don't want to be very loud; we might wake the children up." He leaned over and glanced at both of the sleeping children. "Lex always leads, and I always follow, but there's the oral method, frontal method, and the rear. They're all exciting. You might have to lead with Jack. You might have to take it away from him." He paused to see Will's reaction.

Will stared at Clark in astonishment. "I couldn't do that! I will not betray him like that!"

"Betray him? What do you mean by that? You have to grow up, Will. Making love to the one you love is not betrayal. He's lost and doesn't know where to move next. If you have an ideal, move on him. Teach it to him. Lex and I try out different things and ways. If we both like it, we stay with it; if we don't, we throw it out. Which one do you want to learn first?" His blue eyes sought out his friend's.

Will was still staring at Clark in disbelief of what he was hearing. "To lead wouldn't be betraying him," he tried to explain, "but to take it from him without -- when he's not ready would be. I couldn't do that to him."

"He's ready," Clark said with a knowing nod. "He's willing, and he's able. He just doesn't know how to do it."

"You think that's why he's hiding from me?" Will asked. "Seeing a seadog about a wooden leg couldn't take this long!"

"Haven't heard that one before," Clark had to admit with a chuckle, "but he probably ran into some difficulty. I don't believe Jack would hide. When we finish talking, we'll go look for him again. Lex should be here by then. So we will start with the . . . frontal, mayhap?"

Will stole a glance at the children to make certain that they were still fast asleep, then turned his full attention to Clark and the promising conversation to come. He leaned so close to the younger man that his head nearly bumped Clark's.

Clark lowered his voice as he began to whisper so that only Will could hear. "It all begins with a kiss . . . "

**To Be Continued . . . **


	40. Chapter Thirtynine

**Chapter Thirty-nine**

Ororo had been searching for Logan who had slipped away from her while she had gone to check on her godchildren. She had only found Phoebe and Paige at the time, but they had assured her that Piper and Prue were both faring well and indeed, by some miracle, seemed to be rather happy. Pleased with the news, she had returned to hunting for Logan at the same time as her mind had wondered over the feelings that he continued to spark in her. She had never felt something as strong as the emotions one touch from him sent sweeping through her, but she also knew that it was far too soon for such, that she should not allow her heart to follow down that weary trail again, and that she should be in grieving for her friends. She had still been searching for Logan when she had nearly stumbled across Clark and Will in the darkness. She had heard the boys' whispered conversation, and their words of Logan's actions with Faith had filled her with anger and sent her to the sky.

She was still flying amongst the lightning bolts sparked by her anger and scanning the decks for Wolverine when she caught sight of Prue instead. Her concern for her goddaughter instantly overpowered her anger, and she dropped lightly to the deck. "Prue?" she called.

Prue looked up at her Aunt 'Ro with tears in her eyes. She had swiped angrily at them, but they refused to stop falling. "Oh, it's just so useless!" she said to 'Ro. "Why do we always fall in love with those that don't really want us, don't want to fight for us? That Brendan is such a jerk!" she spat the words out. "I'm willing to do anything because I love him! He won't deny that he loves me, but he's not willing to do anything about it! He keeps saying he's going to wolf out and eat me. It's just that we are at cross-threads with each other! I'll do anything, Auntie 'Ro! I just want to be with him so badly! And how can this be? We just met today, and yet I feel like I've known him forever!" She gazed into her aunt's eyes, hoping she would have the answer.

As always, Ororo chose her words carefully. "I wish I could answer all your questions, my child, but the truth is that I, too, have wondered about that. I know of you and Brendan and have seen even Piper falling head over heels. I do not think they have weaved a spell over us," she said with a shake of her head, "but I can not explain it. Even I have been having . . . similar . . . problems . . . with that . . . that . . . " A blast of thunder drowned out her next word, and a sheepish look of apology passed over her face as she faced her goddaughter. "But Brendan is not like the others. He is a Werewolf, and being such while also being good must come with its worries. He truly fears that he will hurt you. Neither of us know why he clings to that belief, but he does. Perhaps . . . You can speak lupine. Perhaps you should try speaking with Wolf or Elvira, see what they think, if they can shed some light on just why he is so fearful?"

Prue dried her eyes. "I'll go look for Wolf now. See if he minds talking to me." She gave her aunt a hug. "I hope you'll find your Wolverine soon, and please don't kill him, Auntie 'Ro. Give him a chance to answer. He might be innocent of whatever you think he's done."

Ororo stroked Prue's long hair lovingly as she returned the young woman's hug. "I wish that might be so, Prue, but I see no reason for those boys to have lied. They did not even know I was there . . . "

"Boys? Who?" Prue asked.

"I believe their names are Clark and Will. Will was in search of one of the Captains when he ran into Wolverine . . . with Faith . . . "

"Still, he might not have understood what he thought he saw. I liked what I saw of Wolverine today. Give him a chance to explain himself." She hoped her aunt would listen and that things would work out all right. Her aunt had been without a man for a very long time, and Prue knew that she was very lonely. She thought that 'Ro and Wolverine had made a good match.

Ororo had paused and was gazing up at the sky. Her talk with Prue had calmed her emotions enough so that she had been able to rein in the lightning and thunder, but she had also felt a different change in the current, one that she could not quite pinpoint. "Prue, I . . . I do not wish to scare you, my child, but we do not yet quite know what is going on here. Besides that, with Pirates, you never know what danger might loom its head when." She gently caressed the side of Prue's face as she looked into her eyes. "If anything should happen, always remember to protect your sisters, but you must also protect the Book." She knew Patty had never really talked about the Book with her children and that she would have to sooner or later but also felt, for some reason, that the warning would soon be needed.

Prue nodded. She wished she knew more about the Book, but her mother and grandmother had kept it hidden from them. She had only caught glimpses of it but never seen the inside. "I will protect the Book, but what's so important about it, Auntie 'Ro? What's actually in it?"

"Nearly every Witch -- indeed, every one who takes the time to do so -- has a Book of Shadows. Some are only for one Witch while others may be for a coven or a family. In your family's case, Prue, that Book dates back to the very first of your ancestors. It holds every spell the Halliwell Witches who came before you and your sisters used, and . . . There is another something very special in that Book. There are," she said, choosing her words with extra care, "very special Witches who will come into their power sometime during your family's line."

"What do you mean special Witches, Auntie?"

Ororo's eyes met Prue's. "The most powerful Witches of all time."

"Wow! What will they do -- fight Demons and other evil things?"

Her answer was a mere, mute nod.

"Gosh! I wonder when they'll happen."

Ororo fought a smile but still did not speak. She knew the girls had to find their way into their powers on their own and that she must not reveal any more of the Charmed Ones' identity to Prue or her sisters.

"I've already hidden it. It's safe, and I promise I won't let anything happen to it, so stop worrying about it and go check up on your Wolverine. I'm going to talk to Wolf and see if he can tell me anything." She gave 'Ro another quick hug.

Ororo returned the hug even as she could not help thinking that Patty would be proud of her eldest daughter for even with everything that had happened that day, Prue was still trying to take care of those around her, even her! "I will, sweet child, but remember when you face Brendan again, he truly believes what he is saying. You think he does not want to fight for you, but it may well be that he believes he already is, in a way that only he can to protect you from himself."

"I'll try to remember, but it's hard. He's so stubborn! I'll see you later. Do you know where Wolf is?"

Ororo shook her head. "If I see him, though, I'll tell him that you're looking for him. He should be able to find you rather simply."

Prue headed off in search of Wolf, hoping that 'Ro would keep her head and not blow Wolverine to smithereens.

Ororo watched Prue go before lifting herself back into the air. Lightning bolts illuminated the decks as she continued in search of Wolverine while also keeping her eyes open for Wolf or Elvira, who she knew could easily lead her to the Werewolf.

* * *

Lex's blue eyes were focused on his Captain and the mug he grasped as though it were a live snake, waiting to bite him. "You have to drink it," he repeated.

Jack made an awful face even as he took another sip of the foul liquid. "Swamp water probably tastes better than this," he muttered. He felt as though he had ten snakes aloose in his gut as the liquid made its slithering way down his throat and into his stomach.

"I wouldn't doubt that," Lex admitted, "but it works wonders. Brendan made me drink it once, a long time ago." A coy smile played over his lips. "Actually, I saw him drink it once himself, and he wasn't even in our situation." He shrugged. "I think he just thought he needed the energy. Surely he couldn't have liked the taste? But you should have seen him!"

When Jack had drank the last sip, he turned the mug upside down and glared balefully at Lex. "What now?" he demanded. "You promised to tell me what to do with Will. I'm listening."

Lex nodded, "And I will, but first I think you'd best get to the railing, Captain."

Jack's stomach grumbled, and he held it even as he ran out of the galley and to the rail. Twice that day, everything had come out of him, and this one smelled worse than the first. It showed no sign of stopping, and he wretched until he thought he would explode. Then he hung limply on to the railing, his head resting on it.

"I know that felt like everything you've probably ever eaten in your entire life," Lex's voice came from behind him, "but that was the alcohol you've consumed tonight. You needed to get it out of your system in order to be able to deal with Will."

Jack sat down with his back against the railing. "Somebody's gotta deal with me now," he said. "I don't think I can even walk, but I can tell you one thing: I don't ever want any more of that tequila! Did you know that there's a worm in the bottle and Faith was enjoying eating it? The very thought makes me sick!"

Lex nodded. "That's all part of Faith," he calmly observed. "Basic rule of thumb I've found, Captain: If you see Faith eating or drinking something, unless some one else is already partaking of the same, you generally don't want it."

Jack nodded sagely. "I believe you're right, Lex. I know I don't want any more. So sit down here and tell me what my next step is."

Lex obediently swung down and sat beside Jack. "First of all, you've got to stop running." He held up a finger to silence him. "Don't try to deny it. I know you have; I was there once before myself. You don't know what you're doing. You don't want to disappoint or scare him, and the thought of doing so and not knowing what to do scares you in return."

"That's true," Jack slowly admitted, "but I wasn't running. I went out to knock Brendan in the head. I thought he had attacked Prue, but it turned out that Brendan and Prue had had a fuss and Brendan was kicking his own butt. Tried to talk some reasoning into him. Just like pissing into the wind. He won't listen, and he won't do anything to help himself."

"Sounds like trying to talk to Faith."

"Yup. They've got a lot in common. I guess Will thinks I ran away, but I just haven't gotten back there yet. I wanted some rum, Lex, but it's all gone. Do you have any ideal who took it or where they hid it? That tequila will kill you."

"It will indeed," Lex admitted. "A couple of more bottles, if even that many, and we wouldn't have even seen you again until this time tomorrow night."

"If then," Jack admitted. "There's just times that I am so weak, Lex, and I just can't fight what I am. I have to admit it: I have trouble with alcohol, but if you tell anybody I said that, I'll deny it."

Lex couldn't help thinking that at least that secret admission didn't come with the usual warning that he'd get his throat slit.

"Well, come on, Lex. Tell me what to do, man. Will will think I've left the ship and am not coming back."

"He'd never think that. He knows the Pearl means too much to you for you to ever abandon her. But he might think you're hiding from him and have no intention of ever coming back out."

"I wouldn't do that," Jack said. "I might not be able to do anything to give him pleasure yet, but I damn sure wouldn't hide! It just sort of happened. I was trying to sort things out with Faith about Dawson. She's determined to leave us in Tortuga."

Lex looked at Jack in shock. "What!"

"She says it's all my fault and it's because Dawson's aboard, but I don't think that's the true matter of it. I think Dawson got under her skin and she wants him really badly, but in order for her to ever admit she wants anybody . . . Well, that would probably take a miracle. Faith wants the world to think that she's Big, Bad, Tough Faith and that nobody tells her what to do. That's probably true some of the time, but definitely not where Salem and Dawson are concerned."

Lex knew that Salem and Dawson were not the only ones that could reach Faith and also realized that Jack and Dawson were not the only reasons why she was desperate to separate herself from the rest of them. He also knew, however, that he could not tell Jack that, and in his nervousness, reached for a necklace that Clark had once given him and that he never took off. As he slid the amulet between his fingers, he spoke quietly but determinedly, "That's a miracle we are going to have to find a way to make happen before we arrive in Tortuga, but the first problem we need to work on is yours with Will, Captain. You think you can't give him pleasure, but you're wrong. Even one kiss, just one touch, gives him pleasure, but I know you want to do more. There's several ways to do so. A -- hum -- blowjob is the first I learned."

"You mean, with one of those tubes? How do you use that on them?"

Lex shook his head. "Not darts," he corrected, looking incredulously at Jack. "A blowjob. It involves, hum, your mouth on his sword."

"Interesting," Jack said. "What do you do to get there? You go straight to the goal?"

"You could try that," Lex admitted, "but wouldn't you rather give him as much pleasure as possible?"

"Yes, I would. So what do I do?"

Hearing footsteps somewhere on deck, Lex leaned in even closer to Jack as he whispered so that only he should have been able to hear him. "It all begins with a kiss . . . "

* * *

Upon approaching the galley, Wolverine's sharp hearing picked up the conversation between Jack and Lex. There was no way he was going to go in there and interrupt that! He began to make his way back to the area 'Ro and he shared, wondering where his little darlin' had gotten off to when the sky was suddenly split with a lightning bolt and the booming sound of thunder. The lightning had barely missed where he was standing. He jumped quickly away from the spot before turning and gazing upward. "'Ro?" he called up. "I know it's you. What's wrong?"

She appeared from the shadows, illuminated by her own lightning bolts as she towered before him, six feet of deadly, angry Weather Witch. She gazed at him for a moment from firm blue eyes before finally and simply stating the truth, "I heard about Faith."

Wolverine asked, his eyes gazing intently into hers, "What did ya hear about Faith?"

"I heard what she told Will while she was naked . . . with you."

"She fell out of the rigging and landed on me, knocking me to the deck. Jack and she were getting drunk on tequila, but I wasn't involved until she fell out on top of me. If you heard that part, I am sure that you heard me answer Will and say Jack was there. Honestly, Little Darlin', I wasn't lookin' at her or doin' anything with her except tryin' ta climb out from under her." He was pleased to see that 'Ro was jealous of him but hoped that she would believe him and not hit him with a lightning bolt.

Ororo watched Logan's face and eyes intently. "I said that I heard what she told Will. I did not say that the words came from her lips." She would not, however, reveal that Clark had been the one she had heard it from. "You say that she was with Jack, but he wants Will, does he not?"

"Yes, but they were both getting drunk. Some one ran off with Jack's rum, and he was trying to reason with Faith who wasn't having any of it. She gave him tequila, and . . . sorry to say, Jack climbed in the bottle. Jack wants Will, and until he actually manages to do something with Will, there's no telling what he'll do. I would have told Will again that Jack was over there with us, but Faith knocked the air out o' my lungs."

"So the two were getting drunk together and involving in . . . such activities when you happened innocently across the scene?" Her eyes were still narrowed and full of suspicion, but the bad weather had relented.

"Little Darlin', the only woman I'm interested in is your beautiful self. Jack wasn't really doin' much with Faith 'cept tryin' to talk to her and put her clothes on, but she's all worked up about Dawson bein' aboard an' there was no reasonin' with her." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently, his eyes never leaving hers.

She smiled, the last of her anger ebbing away. She knew it was not safe to trust people so easily, but somehow she could not seem to help it with Logan. "So what are you going to do about your boy?" she asked him softly.

"Leave him alone for now. Lex is workin' on him, an' believe it or not, Clark found Will an' he's talkin' to him, as well. Hopefully somethin' will come from it." He was relieved that she let him stand so close to her. "Ready fer bed?" he asked her.

She had found herself gazing into his eyes and wondering why it was so hard for so many of them to let others get close when he spoke again. She quickly nodded and attempted to put her thoughts aside. She had to watch him. She did not want to be hurt again and still could not understand why he so easily evoked such emotions in her. Yet, despite herself, she could not help reaching a hand up and gently caressing his roughened face.

Holding to her hand, he led her to their little nook and allowed her to enter first.

Ororo stood, gazing down at the area that he had fixed for them in pleased surprise. She had been worried about sleeping so close to him, but he had placed two separate cots with a short but reasonable distance between them. She knew she could not sleep on the one inside, however. She smiled at him. "Thank you, and . . . I . . . am sorry for doubting you." How could she explain that it came from years of experience, experience that seemed useless when it came to him?

"Don't worry about it, 'Ro. I am only glad that you believe me at last. I make you a promise: I'll be here for you. If you need me, you have but to call me. But I will not make another move on you unless you desire it." He took his shirt off and moved over to lay down on the cot. Normally, he would strip all the way down, but in deference to also being 'Ro's room, he kept his pants on.

She laid down on the cot closest to the outside, then turned to her side to gaze at him from underneath her eyelids. For once, her words failed her, but as she finally started to speak again, she was interrupted by a snore that she did not realize was faked. "Goddess," she whispered, "what blessing have you slipped into my life this time, and do I dare trust it?"

Wolverine continued to hold his body as still as he could, letting an occasional snore erupt. He could hear the wind picking up outside and realized that 'Ro was not having anything to do with it. It would probably rain before morning. For a night two days before the full moon, it was awful dark, and he could smell rain and cold. He shivered at the thought even as he turned on to his left side.

He tensed, waiting for 'Ro to fall asleep. He knew she was not asleep yet. He wondered how he had been so lucky for her to fall into his life and hoped that he would not do anything at all to bugger it up. He thought back over the women he had known in his life and realized he had not been with any of them for very long. Something had always come along to mess it up. He prayed that this time this wonderful woman would stay in his life until his time on Earth was done. That being the last thought on his mind, he passed into sleep.

Beside him, Ororo lay awake for a while longer, her mind dwelling on not only the day's events but events that had led her to be so loathe in trusting. Her thoughts also continuously turned to the four young women who had been left in her care, and she prayed to her Bright Lady that she would be able to care for them where Patty and Penelope were no longer able to.

* * *

The last time Prue had seen Wolf, he had been heading for the crow's nest with Elvira in tow. She knew she had to see him and get to the bottom of things, and she figured one time was as good as any other as he always seemed to be with Elvira. When she reached the crow's nest, she called up pleadingly, "WOLF, I NEED TO SPEAK TO YOU. I KNOW YOU'RE BUSY, BUT YOU'RE ALWAYS BUSY! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE TALK TO ME!"

Wolf, who had actually been resting in between times, stuck his head above the crow's nest and looked down where Prue was standing. He glanced back at Elvira. He figured she would have fallen asleep, but her eyes were wide open and gazing at him tenderly. "YOU WANT TO TALK TO ME OR ELVIRA?" Wolf called down.

"EITHER OR BOTH OF YOU, IF YOU HAVE THE ANSWER."

"WHAT IS THIS, A RIDDLE?" Wolf called down.

"OF SORTS," Prue called back up.

"OKAY. GIVE US A MINUTE, AND WE'LL BE DOWN."

Prue stood and waited, wringing her hands constantly so great was her agitation. True to his word, Wolf was down on the deck within two minutes. Elvira had popped his pants again, and they would not hold together so he had taken her skirt and wrapped it around himself. Prue tried not to look at the skirt. "What can I help you with, Miss Halliwell?" Wolf asked.

"I need to know the answer, Wolf, and I know you know it."

"The answer to what?" Elvira asked as she hopped down behind Wolf. Even then, despite Prue's serious look and her concern for the girl, she could not help reaching out a hand, gently grabbing a few of Wolf's tail hairs, and shaking them.

Wolf growled playfully at Elvira even as he made a grab for her hand.

"I need to know how to conquer Brendan's wolf."

Wolf cleared his throat but looked away. "He doesn't want you to know, and I can't be the one to tell you. I have his trust, and it's very important to us wolves that we can believe and trust in one another."

"I love him, Wolf, and I want to be with him. He knows what the answer is, but he won't even attempt it. He says he loves me and he wants to be with me, but he can't because his wolf will kill me."

"Honey," Elvira interrupted, "you're not _that_ inexperienced!"

"What do you mean?" Prue asked, looking at her.

"The whole thing with his wolf will kill you," Elvira replied with a roll of her black eyes. "Sure, they're _huge_, bigger than anything you've ever saw _or_ imagined before, but you can handle it. Besides, when a man and a woman are meant to be together, they fit together like a . . . like a hand in a glove." She paused, realizing what she had just admitted despite herself. She had always believed that, though she'd never found any one until that day who fit her so well. Wolf filled her completely, like no other ever had or could. Did that truly mean that they were meant for each other, that she need not fear letting him in, allowing him to love her?

Wolf had turned away from Prue and was still not looking at her. Had Elvira known all along or was she simply guessing?

Prue's mouth fell open in shock. "You mean . . . I've got to do it with his wolf?" She could not fathom the thought!

Elvira stopped, surprise etched over her face. "Did I say that?" Before either could answer her, she babbled on, "Well, probably, yeah. I mean, the wolf's a virgin, the man's a virgin, but in order to get to one, you have to go through the other, and it's not as if you can get to the wolf from the man so you're gonna have to calm the beast first. Yeah, that does make perfect sense!"

After hearing that, Prue now realized why Brendan had run like crazy from her. He would think that she would be shocked and definitely not wanting his wolf. She wondered if it could be something that simple, and although the thought of sleeping with the wolf did not excite her, the thought of reaching the man underneath did. "How . . . can that happen when he can not control the wolf?" Prue asked. "That is what he meant when he said the wolf would kill me: His wolf would get out of control and eat me."

"Girl, the way that boy is, if he _could_ control the wolf, you wouldn't get anywhere! Heck, I haven't seen anybody that scared since the last time I was at a blacksmith shop, and you _know_ the kind of trouble I cause at those places! They won't shoe my horse, they can get the shoe up their -- " She stopped, realizing from the look on Prue's face that she was getting far off the beaten path. "_Any way_, to get back to your problem, chains should calm the wolf and could probably be a bit fun for ya too. Have you ever tried them before? Of course you haven't," she answered before Prue could. "You're still too virginal."

Prue had a shocked look on her face. Chains? How was she supposed to get chains on Brendan? "What kind of chains, and how do I get them on him? You can't just walk up to him and say, 'Hey, can I put these on you?'"

Wolf had not said a word but had been listening intently. "You've got to have silver chains, and they won't feel good. They're very painful, but they're the only kind that will hold a Werewolf. Wesley has some. He's used them on me in the past and on Brendan once or twice. They burn. They anger the beast." He finally turned around, facing Prue. "You'd best think about this long and hard, Miss Halliwell. If we help you, Brendan's going to look at it as though I betrayed him. He won't like me any more. I don't want to lose his friendship. I'm going to stay in the background and let you and Elvira handle it, but if things get out of hand, I'll stick my nose in it."

Wolf's words sank Elvira's heart. She'd not thought of the harm chains could cause to a wolf, only of the fun that could be had with such. She turned to step before her lover and gently cupped her hands around his face. "Sweetheart," she spoke, gazing into his eyes, "if that damn Brendan doesn't have enough brains to know that you're true and loyal to your friends and to a woman if she'd only let you be, then I'll _make_ him realize you are." Before either Prue or Wolf could protest at the thought that she might attempt to harm the boy, she clarified herself, "I'll tell him that I was the one who told Prue what she had to do, even if I didn't realize what the heck I was really talking about when I started, and I know," she pressed a finger to the tip of his nose, "that he'll smell the truth."

Wolf nodded. "If we're going to do it, we need to do it tomorrow. The day after is a full moon. There will be no controlling him at all. It'd be much safer to wait until after the full moon has come and gone. It's up to you, Prue."

Prue thought about it, and she knew she'd have to do a lot more thinking about it. It was a huge step to take. Wolf might be right: Brendan might not only hate Wolf, but he might hate her, as well, for attempting it. "After the full moon," she said. "We'll try it then. I don't want any one to get hurt, so we'll wait. Thank you for helping me, and I, too, will tell Brendan that it was not you who told." She reached out and gripped Elvira's hand. "And thank you, Elvira, for telling me what no one else would tell me."

"Hey, you know me, girlfriend," Elvira replied in an attempt to lighten the mood, winking at Prue. "I can't keep anything quiet."

"I'll see you two later," Prue said as she turned and began to make her way back to the galley. She hoped that the others had actually managed to get it clean and that she wouldn't have to do it all by herself. She finally reached the galley even as she felt the wind whip up all around her. She knew she'd have to retire soon.

Her mouth fell open in surprise when she saw that the galley was spotless and that no one remained in it. She guessed they had made their way to bed. She headed that way. She'd thank everybody the next day, but now, she was exhausted and just wanted to lay down. It didn't take her long to reach her sleeping cot, and she fell into it, her last thoughts being of Brendan.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	41. Chapter Forty

**Chapter Forty**

Donkey had been the last one eating the leftover scraps. He had no clue as to where the other animals had gone, but when he had eaten the last bite, he headed off along the deck. He hoped there would be other entertainment, because he wasn't quite ready to go to sleep yet and had missed the singing. He had not walked far when he heard two grumbling voices. "Hey, that's mine! Get your furry lips off of it!"

"It's better to share," came the other voice, "and it's my turn for a sip!"

Donkey thought he recognized Salem's and Meesy's voices. He almost stepped in glass without realizing it. He skirted around it and almost stepped on another cat. Squinting downward, he recognized it as a female called Kit. He stared at her for a moment as her tail flicked lazily in the air. Perhaps it was because she was a cat, he thought, that she was laying on her back, her everything exposed for all the world to see. "Pardon me, madam," Donkey said, "but are you all right?"

Her purr did not seem to be quite right, and she did not seem to be moving. He lowered his head so that he could get a better look, and her eyes squinted open. The first thing he noticed as she looked at him was that her pupils were dilated in a strange manner. It was her words, however, that took him by shock. "You want some of it, too, huh? Come and get it."

"Hey!" Salem thundered. "We agreed to share, but not with some filthy donkey!"

"He's not filthy," Meesy corrected his friend with a hiccup, "but he wasn't part of the deal."

"What are y'all drinking?" Donkey asked, looking at the two males and then back to the female. There was a strong smell in the air. He was afraid sex had been going on and he had just missed it. Thank the Goddess! He didn't want to see it, not between cats at least! He sighed with relief.

"Tequila," Salem burped out the word. "Figured since Dawson managed to get Faith out of it, we might as well have a go."

"Hey, give me some of it!" Donkey begged. "I like liquor! Wish I could get a hold of some of the rum Jack keeps fussing about! I bet it tastes awfully good!"

Meesy swatted at a bottle, sending it rolling straight to Donkey's hooves. "I've had it before. Horrid stuff. This isn't exactly what I like, but it's not too bad for that delicious buzz. 'Course the Queen would have had my hide back then," he murmured the last bit to himself, "but she's long gone."

"Are you sure she's gone?" Donkey asked. "People have a way of turning up here."

"Yes," Meesy told him quietly, a sad, far-away look settling in his hazy, blue eyes. "I saw her ship be destroyed. I should have been on it."

"No, you shouldn't have been," Salem told him firmly, pushing the bottle they were sharing at him. "What you _should_ be doing is getting drunk with the rest of us and don't give me any more of that crap. I already had too much of it out of Faith!"

"Regrets, not to have been by her side, but not regrets of living. I much prefer the latter! She was the grandmother to Katrina and Celina, and at least, I am still able to watch over them and any little ones should we be lucky enough to have them."

Kit's eyes flew open. "Don't you even go there!"

Salem had to hide a smile. The three of them had had so much fun that Kit was barely still conscious but, just like any other woman, always came around at the wrong time. "Not yours!"

"Better not be!"

The boys rolled their eyes even as Kit shut hers again.

Donkey took a sip and spit it out. "That stuff's nasty! How can y'all drink that!" He took another sip. That one seemed to stay down a little better. He glanced at the two of them but noticed that they, too, were falling down to the deck with their eyes closed. He had to chuckle at the way that Meesy's chocolate plume of a tail fluttered in the air; it was the only part of him left sticking up.

Donkey grasped the bottle firmly in his lips and took another sip. He continued to sip along until he had the bottle empty. With a loud burp, he picked up the bottle again and tossed it over the side of the ship. Just because he was lit didn't mean he had to be untidy. He took a couple of more steps and then sank down to his knees and to the deck of the ship. He started snoring right by the cats.

* * *

Jack's face turned red as Lex whispered words to him about what to do to Will. He had heard about such, but he had never thought himself capable of doing it. "It all begins with a kiss, aye?" He couldn't wait to try that line on Will and see how far he got.

Lex nodded solemnly. "I've found that with Clark, as I am sure you will with Will, that anything worthwhile is always started with a kiss."

"Can't wait to try that line on Will and see where it will lead. Thanks, Lex, for everything. See you tomorrow."

Lex smiled, an expression that reached all the way to even the dark corners that had been haunting his mind that night. "Any time, Captain."

Jack began to make his way back to his cabin. He opened the door, walked in, and looked around for Will but did not see him. He laid down on the bed and watched the door hopefully for Will's return.

* * *

Lex waited in the darkness until he heard the Captain's door shut. It was only then that he moved, rolling to his feet and heading off in search of Clark. Somehow, he had a feeling that his beloved had been working his tongue just as hard as he had just been. He hoped Clark had had the gall to tell Will what the boy needed to know but doubted it. As much as he loved the man, he could still be too timid. He found them huddled together by the railing and whispering urgently back and forth, just as he had suspected he would, but waited for Clark to acknowledge him.

Clark had known exactly when Lex had walked up. His heart skipped several beats, as it always did when his beloved came near, but he did not rush Will. He wanted things to be right with Jack and Will. "You have any more questions, Will?"

Will's face was still rather paled with the shock of all that Clark had just told him. "Just the same one. One last time. I'm sorry," he apologized with a shake of his head, "but I just find it so hard to believe! You're _sure that's_ where it goes?"

"One of the places, my friend, but only when you're ready. Don't rush it. Take it slow, and remember nothing you do that makes the other feel pleasure and doesn't hurt yourself is wrong. I learned that from Lex. Now go and have fun."

"I just hope he's ready for me," Will spoke quietly, but Lex still heard him.

Lex moved closer at Will's words and smiled reassuringly at the boy. "He is."

Will looked at him in surprise. "How do you know?"

"Let's just say Cupid's had a little help tonight," Lex replied with a grin.

Will wanted to run off after Jack but stilled himself just long enough to look at both men with immense gratitude shining in his eyes and on his face. "Thank you, both, for . . . for so much . . . for everything!"

"Why do I feel like somebody's Fairy Godmother?" Clark asked. He smiled at Will. "You're welcome, my friend. Any time I can help you, let me know."

"That goes for us both," Lex amended even as Will rushed off for Jack's cabin.

* * *

Angel continued his watch, walking around the ship and making sure that all were protected. He had heard the music but had not joined in. He now longed to talk to Cordelia and clear the path between them if indeed that were possible. He was afraid when he told her the truth about himself, that she would run screaming and hide from him. If this happened, he would have to release her and never let her know his true deepest feelings. How could one small woman affect him so badly to the point he felt he could not live without her? Her scent filled the air, and he followed it to her. He stood quietly watching her as she approached him.

"Angel," Cordelia called as soon as she spotted the object of her thoughts, "I've been looking for you." She had been for some time now and had even began to wonder if he was avoiding her. She also hated that they had missed the music.

"Come walk with me. I must continue my watch, but we need to talk as well." He smiled at her even as he held out his hand.

She took his hand but could not help gazing with worried suspicion into his eyes. Why did tension seem to fill the air? What was wrong?

"I have told you already part of my life, but there's a lot more that you don't know. I don't know any other way except to just come out and tell you, but I don't want to frighten you. I am not what I appear to be . . . " his voice trailed off, searching for the right words.

Her eyes searched his for any kind of a hint as to just what he was getting at. "Angel, you can't frighten me. You're a good man. I know you have a . . . hard past, but you are a good man," she repeated. "You saved me today, and when you did . . . That was the first time I began to realize that there are good men still left in this world."

The wind had picked up and began to blow Angel's hair as he turned to face her. It whipped into his face, and he dashed it out of the way. "Cordelia, I am glad I was able to rescue you today and I would do it again as many times as need be. I know that if I tell you what I am, I stand a very good chance of losing you but I don't want us to go on without you knowing the truth. I am a . . . Vamp." His eyes looked pleadingly into hers, begging for understanding.

Cordelia's brow creased in confusion even as she shivered. The temperature seemed to be dropping steadily, but she tried to ignore the cold and focus on whatever was bothering Angel so badly. "A Vamp?" she repeated, clearly not understanding.

"A Vampire," he told her, his eyes not leaving hers.

"A Vampire?" She looked at him disbelievingly, confusion and worry growing in her round eyes. What was he playing about? "Angel, what are you talking about? That's just . . . just a legend . . . I mean, sure it might be interesting if those things did exist, but they're just stories."

Angel shook his head. "No, darling, Vampires are real. There are really quite a lot of us around, and there are evil ones just as well as there are good ones. In fact, on these ships alone, there are three of us. We're good. There are also Werewolves and other creatures that go bump in the night." He paused, waiting to see what kind of reaction she was having. Would she believe him?

The icy winds were now whipping Cordelia's long hair, as well. She reached out a trembling hand to gently pat Angel's shoulder. "Right, sweetheart. Why don't you say we go . . . huh, somewhere warmer, and you can tell me all about these creatures of yours?"

"I don't mind taking you somewhere warmer, Cordelia, and I'm not making this up. I am telling you the truth. You can ask either of the Captains, and they will acknowledge it. We even have Werecats aboard. Have you not noticed the Lewis sisters?"

She paused, looking at him in even more surprise. She had noticed the catwomen and the catman and had indeed nearly fainted when she'd seen the first. Could there be something to his tall tale, after all? "I thought they were just . . . I don't know . . . I didn't really want to think about it, I guess."

He nodded in understanding. "It's important for you to know, Cordelia, that no one aboard either of these ships will ever hurt you but that when the full moon comes, strange things will happen. It will be best for you to stay in the sleeping quarters those nights."

"And what are you going to be doing?" she countered. "Howling at the moon?" She just couldn't believe what she was hearing!

"No. Brendan will be, though. And Wolf. They're Werewolves. Me, I'll just be running amuck. Very few are brave enough to be on deck when the moon is full. Not even Jack likes to be out there then." He was surprised she was taking it so calmly and was beginning to think that she was still thinking he was telling a tall tale. "Come and I'll walk you to the sleeping quarters. It is time to be turning in."

Though she felt as though she were freezing to the bone, she did not want to go anywhere with this crazed conversation hanging in the air. "So all Vampires look like you? Just like normal humans?"

"Yes, unless they're Vamped out. You won't want to see me when I'm Vamped out."

There! There was her chance to prove him wrong and convince him to see a doctor when they came to shore! "Actually," she challenged, folding her arms even more tightly against her chest and tilting her chin so that her determined eyes slanted directly upwards into his, "I do. You say I need to believe in all this, Angel, then show me. Give me a reason to believe this insanity."

He let go of her hand and backed away from her. "I will show you this once while I am in complete control. The night of the full moon, I will not be in control." Still keeping his eyes on hers, he Vamped, expecting screams to burst forth from her lips at any second.

Her body went weak in shock as she saw his handsome face change and convert. His eyes flashed, sending a tremble through her. His teeth were enlarging when something flickering in the sky caught her gaze. She looked up, and that was when her face went an even deeper shade of pale. "A-A-A-An-Ang-Angel -- " she stuttered out, her eyes frozen on the object in the air even as she stumbled backwards.

Angel quickly reverted to his human self. "Cordelia, are you okay?" he asked, expecting her to burst out screaming.

Her breath was coming in gasps, and she found that she could not form words. Instead, she raised a trembling finger to point not at him but at the sky instead.

Angel's eyes followed her finger, and his dead heart skipped a beat. That awful nightmare had returned and was now hovering above two people he knew in an instant were Lorne and Crys! Crys was trying to climb the ship's railing, reaching toward the creature, and Lorne seemed to be fighting her, trying to hold her down! Angel raced for the pair, calling desperately to Crys. "DON'T DO IT!" He barely managed to reach her and grab her ankles, pulling her back down. He did not let go.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	42. Chapter Fortyone

**Chapter Forty-one**

She ached to stay in the safe, warm confines of his arms but knew that she could not. Knowing that the longer she allowed herself to linger, the harder it would be to push him away, Crys finally pushed far enough back from Lorne that she could look into his eyes. "I can't stay," she whispered to him. "It's not that I don't want to. It's that I can't."

He pulled her back to him. Knowing that words were useless, he decided to let his lips do his talking. He sought hers and then pledged his undying love to her with a very gentle butterfly kiss.

His kiss made her knees go weak, but her mind knew she had to remain strong for his sake . . . for all their sakes. She slid a hand between their bodies and forced herself to push him away. Tears sparkled in her ice blue eyes as she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"You're not going anywhere, Crys! I won't let you, and if you're determined to just throw your life away to him, he's going to have to take me too! I'll call him! I don't have to know his name! All I have to do is call out to him, get his attention! I'm not going to live without you! It took me a lifetime to find you! You say you love me; prove it! Stay with me!"

"I can't do that, Lorne. If I _didn't_ care about you so much, then I could, but I can't," she repeated, shaking her head. She lowered her eyes from his for a moment but then raised them, blazing determinedly, to meet his again. "And if you call him, I'll find out, and when I do, I _will_ give myself to him. I promise you that."

It was then that the wind had began to whip up around them, and he clung to her. He had been sensing a storm building all night. He knew it would not be long. "I won't let you go, Crys, and neither will Angel. He's nearby. All I have to do is call him, and he'll be here and together we'll stop you. Neither one of us want to lose you." His eyes were drawn upward by a flickering light, and he realized that it was the nightmare coming again.

"Lorne, you can't stop me. I could have left already if I'd only made myself." As he did not look back down to her, she thought he might be crying. That thought saddened her even more, but she knew she did not have a choice. "It's not safe for any of you to be around me! I trust you and Angel. I do! I just can't stay, but if I didn't trust you, I wouldn't be able to leave so easily!"

"What do you mean, Crys? If you didn't trust us, you couldn't leave so easily?"

Her children were stirring worriedly around them, and Crys closed her eyes against the tears that welled therein and the knowledge of their coming reaction to her next words. "I'm going to leave them with you. I trust you two to take care of them, no one else."

"You're not going anywhere, Crys! I'm not taking my arms from around you! If I have to keep them there 24/7, I'm holding on to you!"

Blue and Elvira had almost opened their mouths in roars of protest, but Cindy had hushed them just in time. Like Lorne, she had seen the being in the air and knew the Hell that would ensue if they allowed him to know that they were there.

"Lorne, you don't have a choice! I'm going! You can't stop me! I . . . " A snowflake landed against her cheek at just that time, and Crystal's eyes flew open to find snow beginning to drift down around them. Her mouth snapped open, but no sound came out. He was there! She had but seconds to give herself over to him if the others would stand any chance of living! "I'm sorry," she told Lorne again in a rush of breath that was his only warning to her next maneuver. In one swift turn, she flew out of his arms and leapt toward the railing. Already, ice was growing underneath her boots.

Blue flew into his mistress' face. Lorne, Cindy, and Elvira all sprang for her, but it was not their dead weight against her legs that brought her down. Lorne sighed a sigh of relief as he saw Angel fly through the air, grabbing her and bringing her back down to the deck. "You're not doing it, Crys! He doesn't know you're down here! He's just looking for you! Don't give him a reason to see you!"

It was then that Angel felt the mask slipping from the ship, and he knew they were in trouble. The Lewises must have dozed off, feeling that they were safe! Their sleeping had caused the mask to fail!

"Angel, you don't understand! You don't know how he is! He'll destroy the ships and every one on them just because they're here! The only chance for you and the others to survive is for me to give myself to him!"

* * *

Jack had been waiting for Will with great anticipation. The minute Will had returned and closed the door softly behind him, Jack was out of the bed and across the room. "I missed you," he said as he put his arms around Will. Lex's words returned to him: It all begins with a kiss.

"I missed you too," Will returned, his words brushing softly across Jack's face. "I looked for you, but I couldn't find you. Where were you?" Jack's arms around his body felt wonderful, and he ached to melt into him. As Jack recalled Lex's words of advise, Will remembered Clark's.

"I was in the galley with Lex, who gave me something to settle my stomach." He did not go into details of how he was drunk and hoped that Will could not tell. Before Will could get a single word out, Jack's mouth sought his in a gentle kiss. He was nervous as to how Will would react, but Will's lips instantly parted under his. As Jack deepened the kiss, Will's tongue pressed gently against his lips, seeking permission that Jack hungrily granted. Their tongues swept across each other as they delved into one another's mouth and feasted in the treasure that they offered.

Jack's lips left Will's and began to trail slowly down Will's body, biting buttons off as he went and bringing sighs of pleasure along with each button and newly kissed spot. Even as pleasure swept through every inch of Will's being, he knew he did not want their first time together to be on the floor and gently started to push Jack backward towards the bed. Jack felt the bed nudge the backs of his knees and quickly turned around, pushing Will onto the bed. He did not stop his onslaught of kisses, and soon he had Will's shirt off. Just the very sight of Will's naked muscles set Jack's blood even more afire. His hands slipped caressingly over Will's naked chest and then his muscles, massaging gently. The sheer pleasure of touching him made his whole body tingle.

Jack's every touch brought Will higher toward the stars that seemed ready to engulf him. He had never even dreamed he could feel as wonderful as Jack was making him, but even then bits of Clark's advise floated back to him. He paused as he considered one of Clark's suggestions. He had never been one to admire any of his own attributes, as Clark had admitted that he himself also had not, but as he remembered how Clark had told him that Lex grew excited when he used the maneuver, Will flexed his muscles for Jack.

Will took Jack's breath away, and he found it extremely difficult to breathe even as he felt himself grow harder and thought he would explode. "Do it again," he said, and Will obliged with an even bigger smile. "Damn, you're so . . . handsome you steal my breath away!"

"As you do every time I gaze upon you, my love," Will breathed up to Jack before using his beloved's startled excitement on him. Quickly, he rolled him over so that he now straddled Jack instead. Lowering his head, he began to nuzzle Jack's neck before slowly working his way down to his first button. Clark had only told him about how to do it and had not shown him. Will prayed he would not make a fool of himself and destroy their delicious mood even as he took Jack's button in his teeth.

Jack trembled. He could hardly wait for Will's mouth to be on him! He only hoped he would not explode before the right time had come! He did not think he could get much harder and hold back!

Will worked slowly and carefully and breathed a silent sigh of relief when he managed to bite off Jack's button. Spitting the button across the room, he turned his mouth back to Jack's flesh. His lips trailed kisses down to Jack's next button. The second button came more quickly and revealed even more of Jack's chest. With the third, he freed the exposed, tender skin that Clark had told him was equally as sensual regardless of gender. Trailing kisses across Jack's chest, Will paused at his nipple. He admired its beauty for a moment before flicking his tongue out and licking it.

Jack almost shot off the bed, such was the intense ecastcy that rolled through his body! He trembled and waited for Will to do it again, but it was at that moment that something crashed through the roof, knocking a hole straight through the floor! "What the Hell!" Jack asked.

Will had not even noticed. Instead, he frowned. "You didn't like it?" he whispered in disappointment.

"Oh, I loved it! But I think I blew a hole through the floor!" He clung to Will and gazed toward the floor.

Will rose up off of Jack enough so that he could look between their bodies. "Holy . . . !" Just what the Hell was that thing! _Ice!_

* * *

A lone figure had been walking across the Sea Witch's empty deck when the icy winds had picked up, but it was only when something that sounded like an explosion came from the Pearl, that the woman looked up. The first thing she noticed was what appeared to be a gigantic ice shard having split the Captain's cabin in two; the next was something shining in the sky. When she looked up, her heart nearly stopped, and Linda fell back against something that began to ring. Among the heads that turned to look at the bell was the monster's. Frostbite's eyes narrowed on the girl, and she took her last breath in that heartbeat. The only thing she knew from that point on was an immense cold beyond anything else she'd ever felt.

Across the ship, Blue pressed his wings against Crystal's mouth to keep her from screaming for he knew what was about to come. The little dragon scrunched his eyes tightly closed as, in that same second, Linda was turned instantly to ice and exploded. Shards of what had been her body flew everywhere.

Lorne gasped and continued to hold on to Crys, knowing that she would try desperately to go for Frostbite now. Angel did not let go either but looked up to find Cordelia. "Come quickly, darling! It's safer to be here than out in the open!" He held tightly to Crys even as he heard Frostbite call out.

"Gee, and here I thought you _cared_ about people. I know you're here, my little Popsicle, and if you don't come out, the rest will share that bitch's fate! I know you care, and _you_ know what you have to do to save them!" With that, he opened his arms wide and rained ice shards among the ships.

It was only Blue's tightly pressed wings against Crystal's mouth that managed to silence her scream, but she managed to shake her mouth away from him. "See!" she demanded from the men. "That's what's going to happen! That's what's going to happen to every one here if you don't let me go!" Tears were running freely down her face. She knew she should just let him have her and would if only she could get away from them. She could not, however, call him with them anywhere near her. That knowledge renewed her struggle, and Cindy and Elvira threw themselves across her back and legs, penning her down with even more weight.

Cordelia, meanwhile, had already been trying to catch up to Angel when he called out to her. She ran toward him even as Frostbite slung an ice shard twice her size straight at her. She had been near the railing when the shard blasted into the ship, taking a chunk of the railing with it. Its impact threw her off balance, but another landing in the direction she was sent stumbling blasted her backwards into the water. "Damn it! I'll get you yet!" Another flew at her as she fell into the water.

Angel heard the splash and knew he had to let go of Crys or Cordelia would drown. "Crys, stop fighting, stay here! I'll be back!" He dove over the side and down into the icy water. He could sense that Cordelia was near to him. His hand groped blindly until he found her. He fought his way back upward, carrying her with him, only to see that she was unconscious when he reached the surface. Holding tightly to her, he pulled himself up on the ship. Laying her on her back and her head to her side, he pushed gently on her stomach to make the water come out. He figured she had swallowed quite a bit but knew she was still breathing.

Lorne held even tighter to Crys. He had heard the splash and had known that Angel had had to go after Cordelia. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him return.

Still, Crystal tried desperately to talk sense into those around her. "Lorne, listen to me," she pleaded desperately. "You saw what happened to Linda. He'll do that to every one of you unless I go to him. How can you just stand by and let that happen to your friends!"

"If you go to him, Crys, it will only increase his power and it will not take him away from here. He is hell-bent on destroying us! I won't let you go!" He did not know where the Lewises were, but he hoped that they would get the mask back in place quickly.

"He's hell-bent on destroying you only because I'm with you! If I go to him, I can get him to leave you alone! But if you don't let me go, we're all going to die!"

As Lorne and Crystal each argued their points vehemently and Angel continued desperately trying to revive Cordelia, Frostbite continued to reign terror on the ships.

* * *

In the midst of chaos, Ororo's blue eyes flashed open. Cold winds rushed over her and nearly sent her toppling back onto her cot when she flew to her feet. The sky was so darkened with storm clouds and snow that she could barely see, but the one vivid light in the sky fueled her fury and strength. Without a word to Logan, who she did not even know was awake, she sped upwards into the sky. "By the Goddess," she cried aloud though the wind snatched her words away as quickly as she summoned her powers, "you shall not have these people as you did the others!"

Glowing red eyes met determined baby blues a mere split second before Ororo's hands clasped together and she shot a multitude of lightning bolts at Frostbite. His bitter laughter chilled her blood, and his eyes froze her to the spot so that she could not even move as the lightning bounced off of him and sizzled through her body. She dropped like a rock.

Wolverine had been watching helplessly from the deck and raced forward to catch her as she fell. He wished he had some power that he could fell the Demon with, but even though his claws ached to tear through him, he knew he could never reach him. He carried her into her cot and laid her down. She was not breathing; he began to breathe into her mouth, giving her his air and praying that she would revive quickly.

He would not leave her even though he knew that others were probably needing his help. He knew Jack could take care of himself most times, but the storm had now arrived and he feared for him. He hoped Will could handle him. Some one had to get to the ship's wheel and steer them out of Frostbite's path. He hoped that the Halliwells were okay and that the Lewises would soon come to their rescue. He continued to breathe into 'Ro's mouth, urging her to awaken.

* * *

Cole had been sleeping lightly so that he would be there if Piper should awaken. He had carried her to her cot after their dinner and dance. She was exhausted, though she would not fully admit to it, and as he had been about to go, she had begged him to stay. His heart had nearly broken when she'd explained that she was afraid that she would wake to find him but a dream. He had stayed close to her, listening to her breathe, until he knew she was asleep, and he had only just fallen asleep when it seemed all Hell had broken loose. As he was getting groggily to his feet, a sudden shift in the ship threw Piper on top of him.

Piper had been in the midst of twisting nightmares when loud sounds had began to splinter her dream state and she had suddenly felt herself falling. It seemed to her to be a long fall, though in reality, it was mere inches. Cole caught her to him and called her name. "Piper?"

Cole's voice instantly brought Piper the rest of the way back to consciousness. "Cole?" she asked, her eyes flying open in concern. "What's going on?"

"We are under attack, darling, but I'm not sure from whom. I need to check this out, but I don't want to leave you here. We must proceed with caution." He carried her over to the door before letting her slide to her feet. "Stay behind me and close enough that I can grab you if I need to." He opened the door cautiously and looked outside. The deck seemed to have knives made of ice sticking all over into it except for where there were great big holes that had gone all the way through and he could see that water was coming into the ship from them. Where was Xena, he wondered, in the midst of all the chaos? Did she know that the ship was sinking?

Piper knew Cole was eager to get out of the sleeping quarters and join the battle to protect the ship, but she also knew that she could not leave her sisters unprotected. She touched his shoulder gently. "Cole, I have to wake Prue. Some one must be here to protect Phoebe and Paige!"

Prue's eyes opened, and she got to her feet. "What's happening!" she cried only to be answered by Carl.

Carl said, "We're under some kind of attack, and it's tearing the ship up. I ain't going out there! I'll protect your sisters! You better come over here, too! It's safer over here!"

Prue looked and saw that Carl was under the cot with Paige. "What are you doing in here, Carl?" she asked.

"We spent the night," Joxer said.

Prue looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. "Why'd you spend the night?"

"We have to protect our women!"

"Well, shut up about it! You don't want Piper to know, and get out of here before Piper finds out!"

"_Piper_ already knows," Piper announced, no longer bothering to keep her voice quiet, "and this is no time for discussion! We _are_ under attack! Prue, I'm going with Cole, but some one has to protect Phoebe and Paige and those two are nowhere near capable!"

"Yes, we are!" Joxer told her. "I can take care of Phoebe!"

Prue shook her head. "You can't take care of yourself, Joxer! Now stay put until you're called for. Where's the Captain?" she called to Piper.

"Piper," Cole said, "stay here with your sisters. I didn't know they would need such protection. You should stay with them. I'm going to look for the Captain."

"Well, if everybody's staying," Joxer said, "maybe I should go look for Xena!"

"I don't need your help, Joxer!" Cole retorted.

"I'm going any way!"

"No, you're not, Joxxy," Phoebe interrupted as she pulled him back down.

"I guess I'm not," Joxer relented in a still, quiet voice, surprised that Phoebe had dared to pull him back down in front of her sister.

Piper resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Phoebe and turned her attention fully on Cole, who apparently thought he might stand a chance of leaving her there. She had just started to speak, however, when Paige spoke. "We're perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. We don't need babysitters!"

Piper glanced at Paige, who persisted, "Besides, Piper, you're stuck to Cole's butt, and somebody's gotta go for the Book!"

"I'm going for the Book!" Prue said. "You stay here!"

"And I am _not_ stuck to Cole's . . . . . . but I _am_ going with him!" With those last words, Piper's defiant eyes turned upwards into Cole's.

Taking her by the hand, he pulled her out of the sleeping quarters. "We've got to find the Captain first." The waves had turned angry and were slamming the ship on nearby boulders. Cole knew the ship would not last long, but he had no ideal where they were. He tried yelling for Xena, but it did no good as the wind snatched the words out of his mouth. Holding tightly to Piper, he headed for the direction he knew the wheel was in.

* * *

Brendan had been on his way to the Witch when the attack had started. He had quickly lost grip of the paper he had clutched, but before he could do anything to retaliate against the enemy or warn the others, he had seen an ice shard split the Captain's cabin in two. Fear filled him. "JACK!" he howled out the name of his adopted brother, the only man who had ever dared to believe fully in him, as he ran flat out for the cabin. The winds pushed against him, but he pushed back with growls and flashing eyes.

Jack had been trying desperately to reach the cabin door when more ice shards had slammed into the cabin, the last one bursting it apart. They were trapped inside the cabin with the ice shard between them and the outdoors. Jack could feel the Pearl being ripped apart as though it was made of paper. He could hear screams in his head, and there was nothing he could do. He could not reach the outdoors!

Some one had to get to the wheel! The shard was too big to break with his bare hands, and he had no weapon to use on it for his weapons lay on the other side. He heard Brendan howl his name. "BRENDAN," he yelled, "WE'RE TRAPPED IN HERE! GET US OUT OF HERE!" He reached out and pulled Will close to him. If another shard was to come through, he didn't want them getting separated.

Standing in the doorway, Brendan could see that there was no way to get past the ice shard. Instead, he dashed outside and ran around the cabin. The only thought in his mind was rescuing his brother and keeping Jack from being killed. That thought so filled him that he did not even realize that he was tearing at the wall with his claws, though he was still a man. He had partially wolfed and did not even know it.

Jack heard the wood splintering and turned to look behind him. His mouth fell open when he saw claws. Brendan had wolfed! He prayed he was not out of control. "BRENDAN?" he yelled through the now-opening hole.

"I'M HERE, JACK; I'M HERE!" His claws tore more savagely at the hole.

Will's gaze followed Jack's, and he trembled at the sight of the claws. "Jack, what the Hell is that?"

"That, Will, is Brendan! He's wolfed!"

"He's what?"

"But he's able to talk to me, so he must be in control for the first time in his wolf form!"

"_Wolf_ form!"

"My brother's a Werewolf!"

"Brendan's a . . . a _Werewolf_!"

"Yes, and he usually can't control himself. As soon as he gets the hole open, I'm going out first just in case he loses it."

"The Hell you are!" Will exclaimed, jumping to his feet and beginning to search madly for anything that might be able to be used for a weapon.

"I got all he needs right here. If he's out of control and I hit him with this, it'll knock him out." He walked over to the bed and picked up the cane where it had fallen to the floor. He walked back to the now-open hole and began to make his way out of it. He froze as soon as he saw Brendan. "Brendan? How did you get your claws and not the full wolf?"

"Huh?" Brendan looked at Jack in confusion, and his blood ran cold when he looked down at his hands and discovered that Jack was right. It was at that time that Prue's scent met his nose. He could smell her fear, and it ripped at his heart. "Protect each other!" He was gone before Jack or Will, who had walked right into him when Jack had frozen so suddenly, could say anything more.

"We've got to get to the wheel, Will! The ship is out of control, and if we don't do something to control her, she's going to crash!" Jack raced off with Will right behind him.

**To Be Continued . . . **


	43. Chapter Fortytwo

**Chapter Forty-two**

As the Hell of ice, snow, and wind raged around their small spot on the Sea Witch, Faith slept on. She was murmuring in her sleep and continued to twist and turn, trying to pull herself up into a small, tight ball. She whimpered in her sleep from time to time. Sometimes those whimpers were words, but at others, they were far more akin to the sounds of a wounded animal. "Please . . . Don't . . . Don't . . . Don't hurt her . . . " Her hands flailed out suddenly, striking at Dawson in her sleep. "I won't let you . . . "

Dawson didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but it seemed like only seconds when he was suddenly hit by Faith. He moved away from her so that she could no longer reach him. He caught the words she was whimpering. He did not know what nightmare had her locked and wouldn't let go. "Faith? Faith, honey, you need to wake up."

She trembled in her sleep, drawing into an even tighter ball. She was so locked in the nightmare of memories that she could not hear Dawson nor the sounds of the outside battle. "Don't . . . " she repeated, and then, "I won't . . . " She struck out again, flailing at the air. "You can't make me . . . "

Dawson knew nobody could make Faith do anything. He didn't know what she was dreaming, but he knew he had to wake her. They were in danger. Creeping in closer to her side, he caught her hands just as one almost struck him again. "Faith," he kissed her hand before reaching out and shaking her. "Faith, wake up."

Even as Dawson's voice began to slowly break through to her, the memories persisted, and her face shifted from one of anger and determination to a scared, sad look that could have belonged to a child. Her voice then came out in a soft, shaking breath as tears filled her face. "Mommy . . . "

"Faith, baby, wake up! It's me -- Dawson! We're in danger; we've got to go from here! Wake up!" He shook her again and was finally rewarded with her eyes opening.

Faith looked up through eyes blurred with tears. Her confusion grew as she slowly made out Dawson. "Dawson?" she whispered. Then, barely catching herself, "Kid?"

"Yeah, it's me! We're under attack! We're in danger of drowning!" As if to accentuate, a huge wave crashed over them. If they had been standing, it would have knocked them down.

"Of course we are," Faith muttered. "There's always crap hitting the damn fan." She rolled to her feet, ignoring the pain that splintered through her. "And I don't know what you think you just saw or heard, but whatever it was, forget it." She knew she had been having the nightmare again and hated herself even more for letting her guard drop so far around him. Just how had she gone from being about to get a second ride to sleeping instead? She growled; it didn't matter. Without a further word to Dawson and without a thought for her clothes, Faith rushed off after her cannon.

Dawson followed as close as he could, holding tightly to Faith's clothes. He could not believe it when his startled eyes made contact with two drunk cats sitting on the railing, singing, amongst all the chaos. "Salem?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah, man! Give me that old bottle of tequila!"

"No, man," Meesy argued, "give it to me!"

"I'm not giving it to either one of you, and I don't even have one so get down from there before the water gets you!"

"What water, man? Are you hallucinating?" Salem asked even as a wave crashed over both Salem and Meesy, knocking them to the deck.

"Hell no, he's not hallucinating!" Faith snapped, not realizing that she appeared to be coming to Dawson's defense. "It's you two who are drunk out of your damn gourds!"

"Meow? Meow? Meow? Meow!" came another high-pitched voice.

Dawson looked down. Kit was struggling to get to her feet. He reached down and scooped her up. She had been into something, because she stunk, but he would not put her back down for fear that the next wave would wash her out to sea.

He watched as Faith lined the cannon up and shot it skyward, trying to knock the Demon out of the sky. None of the group could believe their eyes when the cannonball suddenly turned to ice and headed back in their direction. They scattered to keep from getting hit, but though they managed to avoid the cannonball, the ice shard that followed it made a hole in the ship. It landed so close to Meesy and Salem that the impact sent them flying.

"SALEM!" Faith screamed as she dove after him.

Meesy had managed to find some wood to cling to, but Salem was skittering over the deck, heading straight for the railing. Seconds later, he had gone overboard with one little splash and Faith jumping right behind him. Dawson scooped Meesy up and ran for the sleeping quarters. He threw the two cats into the sleeping quarters, raced back to the railing, and jumped overboard behind Faith, hoping he could reach both her and Salem in the nick of time. He could barely make them out in the water and swam desperately toward them when the current knocked him for a loop. It was surging swiftly along and grabbed him, starting to take him far away. He fought back, but he was not a match for it.

Faith had barely managed to grab Salem's unconscious body when she turned back to see Dawson being pulled away by the current. She turned her eyes away for just a moment, urging herself to get away from the damn kid while she could, but instead she turned back to him and began to swim even faster.

Dawson saw Faith coming and thought for one brief moment that they'd make it out of the water and back to the ship. Then suddenly, the water was split by an ice shard that knocked Dawson out cold.

Faith's heart nearly froze when she saw the ice shard barely miss Dawson, but she continued forward, swimming with renewed energy that she should have been too tired to have. She breathed a silent sigh of relief when she managed to grab Dawson's arm, but the shadow of another ice shard fell across the trio. She knew what the shadow was and tried desperately to swim out of its way. Dawson's and Salem's weight slowed her too much, however, and she would not relinquish them. As the shard closed down on her, Faith's last thought was that she had tried and failed . . . just as she always did when it came to the important things.

* * *

Katrina had finally gained the deck. She knew that her family was close behind her and the ship was tilting. She tried desperately to stop it from going under. Clinging to the railing, she began a chant to put the blocking spells up. She was instantly joined by her sister on one side and her husband on the other. She felt them come up just as a wave slammed over the top of them, taking the railing out that she was clinging to and sweeping them over the side of the ship.

Morph, who had been nearby and about to attempt to distract the Demon, saw his family go overboard and followed suit. As he did so, he transformed into an octopus so that his arms could reach out to each. His tentacles had barely managed to grab them when he heard an icy voice far above them, "I always did like squid." Morph felt something cold blast through his side but clung to his family even as the world around him went dark.

Frostbite was about to send another shard after the Sorceresses when a cannonball blasted through him. He screamed in pain and anguish and whirled to face his attacker. He could hardly believe that a naked man was having his cannons loaded by goblins and other strange creatures and racing down the line, shooting them off in a rapid succession.

As the cannonballs shot up towards him, however, Frostbite sent them back. They exploded into the Delvira's Delight, and one nearly slammed into the King. It was only the naked woman and the forcefield that moved with her that stopped the cannonball dead at their feet. Frostbite was busily mending the hole in his body when Delvira, having completed spreading the forcefield around Jareth and herself, began to summon a fireball.

The Fieries, seeing the steadily-expanding fire, screamed and let themselves off of the ship, taking their fates in the water rather than against the Queen who was not even studying them. Instead, she lobbed the fireball at Frostbite. It spun swiftly toward him. He turned toward it just in time to see it blast through the same hole he had been trying to mend. He howled in anguish, and his light vanished.

Jareth could tell Frostbite was still up there, but he did not know where. He could not pinpoint his location. He looked around his ship and saw that it was empty except for him, Delvira, and his pet whose howls sent chills through him. "LUDO," he demanded, "DO NOT CALL THE ROCKS!"

Ludo opened his eyes to look at Jareth in surprise. "But . . . rocks friends!"

"Rocks put big holes in ship!" Jareth said, looking at him. "Don't call them!"

"Rocks friends!" Ludo repeated. "Rocks save!"

"NO!" Jareth yelled even as rocks came out of nowhere and began to pelt the ship, hammering holes through its decks.

Ludo was still persisting in calling the rocks when a certain Knight leapt onto him from out of nowhere. "Never fear, my King! I shall conquer this mountain!" He began to hit Ludo with his cane.

Jareth groaned and rubbed his temples. As usual, he was surrounded by idiots.

A really huge rock landed square in the middle of the ship, busting a hole all the way to the ocean. Delvira's Delight began to swiftly take on water, and Jareth knew he had to get Delvira and the rest of his family out of there quickly.

* * *

Wolf and Elvira had been watching the battle from the Pearl's crow's nest and desperately trying to figure out what to do to help when Elvira's comment surprised Wolf. "Damn, that dog's insane!"

"Dog?" Wolf asked.

"Ludo," Elvira, who had been watching her family's ship, explained while pointing the big, shaggy beast out. "He's kind of Jareth's pet. And he's calling the damn rocks!"

"What's that little thing on him, beating at him with a stick?" Wolf had missed Didymus' arrival earlier in the evening.

"Another dog," Elvira told him, "but this one's a Knight. Kinda cute, actually, but completely insane. Y'know that thing Jareth threw you guys in earlier? The Bog of Eternal Stench? He thinks it smells like a bed of roses!"

"My Gods, your family's crazy, but I'm glad I'm in it! We'd better get down there and help them, darling!"

Elvira had turned to Wolf when he had admitted that he was glad to be in her crazy family. She had realized something earlier, while talking to Prue, and was seconds from telling him that when an ice shard tore the crow's nest from the riggings. Wolf held on to her even as they fell toward the deck. He grabbed at sails and everything else that came in their path, trying to slow their descent. He feared that if they landed on the deck, it would smash them, but even as they reached the deck, he realized there was a hole and that they were falling into the hole and straight into the water. He held to her tightly, praying that they would not drown.

* * *

Autolycus could hear and see the damages being afflicted on the ship. He had no ideal where they were coming from, but he figured he was now about to drown and would never have a chance to find the really big one or make amends. No one would come to rescue him for they felt he did not deserve rescuing. He could not blame them, but that also did not stop him from hollering out for help. He had a skeleton key, but he couldn't reach it as he had been chained and was hanging from the ceiling by his arms.

Autolycus thought his desperate screams would reach no one for the wind that raged above, but they did manage to find their way to one set of ears. Elizabeth, who had been racing around the ship and desperately trying to find a way to either hide in safety or help defeat the enemy, whichever came first, came to a stop when she heard him. She knew his voice to belong to the jerk from earlier but could not help following it and peering down into what remained of the hold. "H-Hello?"

"Hello yourself! Get me down from here! PLEASE!" he yelled back up at her.

She knew he deserved to be hanging, but she also knew that he did not deserve to die and would if he was left there. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Climb down here, go in my pants pocket, and get the key!"

"If you already have the key, why are you still hanging there?"

"I can't reach it! It's in my pants' pocket! PLEASE HELP ME! I don't want to drown!"

"You don't deserve to be helped," Elizabeth chided him even as she began to carefully climb downwards. "How could you use those poor girls? Did you really want to . . . to get in their skirts so desperately that you would do that to them!"

"I rescued them this morning! I wasn't trying to get in their skirts! I was trying to steal the treasure," he admitted, not looking at her.

"Oh, poppycock!" Elizabeth snapped back at him. "You were trying to do both!" It was then that she lost her footing and fell into the water. The water was almost at Autolycus' waist, and Elizabeth swam the rest of the way to him.

"A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do, ma'am. A Pirate's life is not easy, and you can't ever find a woman who actually wants to sleep with you unless you have a coin in your pocket. The key is in my left pants' pocket."

"No one's life is easy," Elizabeth returned, "and is that really all you think about -- money and women? There's so much more to life than that!" She was breathing hard from the swim and did not realize the way that her soaked bodice clung to her breasts. Knowing that she had to reach the key and unable to really see what she was doing, Elizabeth reached out a hand to touch Autolycus' waist. She forced her fingers to travel down him until she could find his pocket, then thrust her hand inside.

The closeness of the woman, despite the situation, made Autolycus' blood race. She was a fine-looking woman, and as far as he knew, she no longer belonged to any one. "Take it easy there, ma'am. I wouldn't want to go missing anything."

Elizabeth could not believe his audacity and quickly returned, "Do you want to get out of this, sir, or would you rather I go away and leave you here to drown?" It was at that time that her fingers were met with something hard. Thinking it was the key, she tried to lift it from the pocket and was forced to realize that it was definitely something else! Her eyes shot wide. "Oh my!"

"Oh my . . . !" he moaned as he looked at her. Wasn't expecting that! "Just a little more to the left," he managed to finally get out.

Elizabeth looked at him suspiciously from a reddened face. "A little more to the left what?" she managed to breathe, her fingers frozen inches away from his relinquished stallion. She was afraid of the answer he would give her.

"The key is a little more to the left!" he clarified slowly. He tried not to move even though he was longing to taste just one sample of the perky bosom that was thrust almost into his face.

At that information, Elizabeth quickly retrieved the key and yanked her hand out of his pocket. She was forced to press her body tightly against his in order to stretch high above to reach his chains. With trembling hands, she unlocked them one at a time.

"Thank you ever so much, Elizabeth! Now we've got to get out of here." He looked around their prison, realizing that the only way out was up the steps and that the ship was sinking quickly even as his blood was racing hotter. He headed for the stairs and began to climb out, turning back to make sure that she was following him. Once gaining the deck, he looked around to get his bearings. He saw Xena fighting the wheel valiantly even as Gabrielle was swept overboard.

Xena looked at Gabrielle, then back at the ship. She was desperate but yet did not want to relinquish her duty as Captain. "GO!" Autolycus yelled as he raced for the wheel. Xena dived immediately overboard, going after Gabrielle.

* * *

As soon as the light disappeared, Lorne relaxed his hold a little on Crys. "His light is gone, Crys. I don't see him anywhere."

The very second she felt Lorne's hold let up, Crystal renewed her struggle with even more vigor. "He's still there!" she told him. "He's not that easily defeated!"

"Neither am I, my love," Lorne said as he again put pressure back on her to hold her down. "Angel? Do you see anything?"

"Afraid not," came the instant reply, "but I can sense he's still up there. We've got to get the women to safety, Lorne; the ship's falling apart."

Crystal could not believe her ears. "_To safety!_" she spat out. "What is wrong with you! Don't you see it yet! With him around, there is no safety!"

"There is safety from drowning, Crys, and that is what we are in the most danger of at the present time. We'll have to deal with him later. Some one has injured him enough that he's not attacking right now. It's our best chance of escape." He was about to get to his feet and pull Cordelia up when he heard a whistling sound and looked upward. He barely managed to grab Cordelia and roll out of the way as a huge ice shard came crashing down, splintering the deck and throwing both he and Cordelia away from Lorne and Crys. He felt himself slipping and reached out desperately to grab anything, never letting go of Cordelia at a single instant.

"Lorne, you have to listen to me! My ice could keep them from drowning, but that wouldn't do any good as long as he's still there! I know you don't want them to die, and that's what's going to happen to every one here if you don't let me go!"

"We're doomed any way. It wasn't your fault, but if we let you go and he takes your powers, it will be. Help me to fight against him, Crys. We can beat him."

She hated to trick him but knew that she had to. "I can't fight him with you all laying on top of me! I wouldn't necessarily have to give myself into him, Lorne, but I _could_ lead him away. That would give you and the others enough time to save everybody."

"I'm not letting you go, Crys! You might could fool others, but you can't fool me." He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Angel's hand finally catch and hold on to a piece of the ship's railing. He saw Angel pulling himself back up piece by piece.

Crystal was also watching Angel, and she knew that once the two men were reunited, there would again be no way in Hell for her to break free. "Lorne," she breathed, "I can feel him. I know what he's thinking, and I know the worst has yet to come. It's about . . . to get . . . very . . . cold . . . " Her eyes were closed, and her breathing grew even more shallow as a thin sheet of ice began to spread between their bodies.

Angel looked at Cordelia's eyes and was relieved to find them partially open. "Stay with me, Cordy. Do not go to sleep. Talk to me."

"A-Angel?" Her voice was weak, and she trembled from the cold. "W-Wh-What's g-going o-on? T-Th-The o-o-others . . . A-Are t-th-they -- ?"

"We're under attack, darling. Don't know who's with us and who's passed. Just don't let go of me, because I don't want to lose you. Crys is here, and so's Lorne. We'll take care of you." He had almost reached Lorne and Crys again when the ship heaved upward and blew part of the deck outward, tossing all of them into the water. Lorne did not let go of Crys even when they were in the water but began to swim as hard as he could, hoping that somewhere in this madness would be a piece of land or a big rock that they could get on and somehow be saved. They began to be buffeted about by huge icy waves, and they tried desperately to stay afloat. A huge wave washed over their heads, forcing them further under where they could not breathe.

* * *

Jack could see the wheel but feared that he would never reach it. The Pearl was coming apart all around him. It brought back memories of a storm of another time where he had almost died. In fact, the rest of the crew had perished. That had been the same night that he had seen his father killed with his own eyes. He had only been four, and their ship had been attacked by vicious militia. Though his father, the Captain, had led his men in a brave defense, they were defeated completely and slaughtered just as the storm had grown into a full-blown hurricane. He had been found but not killed; instead, they had held him and forced him to watch the others.

As the icy winds whipped through him, Jack could still hear the evil Captain's last words to his beloved father, telling him that his son was theirs and would live to know all the horrors they had to offer. Jack had tried to fight back against his captors until one of them had finally knocked him unconscious. In present time, Jack raised a hand to feel the spot on his face where the man's fist had crashed into.

Will had continued toward the wheel, not realizing at first that Jack was no longer with him. When he did, he dug his heels into the ship and twirled back to look at Jack. He seemed to be simply standing there, but the look on his face chilled Will's very heart. "JACK!" he called to him over the roar of the wind.

Jack heard Will and gave himself a mental shake. He began to head toward where Will and the wheel were. As he almost made it, the huge main mast broke apart and came falling downward toward him. It caught across the top of the ship, but the cracking sound snapped into Jack's mind as though it was a whip laid across his back. He started an uncontrollable trembling and then began to whimper. Though his body remained there in the present, his mind was caught back in his past, and he felt the blows of yesteryears as though they then rained upon him again. The strong winds blew him until he fell against Will, who was frantically trying to get to him.

Will was so afraid for his beloved and the change that had come over him that his own heart pounded in his ears louder than any sound from the storm. He had desperately been trying to get to Jack but had been being blown back when the wind actually blew Jack straight into him. Will caught him instantly and held on to him tightly. "Jack? Jack, what's wrong!"

Jack did not hear Will but fought against the barrier he presented. Will did not know what was wrong and did not want to let Jack go, but Jack finally managed to free himself. Once free, he fell to the deck. Will started to descend after him but was stopped when Jack threw his arms around his legs, holding on as though he was drowning and Will was his one anchor and chance to survive. Jack continued to make moaning, whimpering sounds.

Will was at a lost. He ached to be able to help Jack but knew neither what had happened to him nor how to help him. He tried to reach down to Jack, but his weight on his legs sent him stumbling back. His back collided with the wheel, and Will leaned against it as he again tried to reach out to Jack. This time, he managed to touch his shoulder and rubbed it reassuringly. "Jack? Sweetheart, what's wrong!"

Locked in a world of nightmares, the only answer that came was a whimper.

Will continued to try to get some kind of answer from Jack while the ship continued going down around them. As he was finally forced to realize that Jack was too far gone and he could not help him at that time, he also realized that he could at least aid the vessel that Jack cared so deeply about. No, he had to remind himself, that Jack _loved_. He thought the ship was his family and freedom, and it was going to pieces all around them. Could that be what had overtaken his love's senses? Will did not know but turned from Jack to face the wheel instead. Taking it in his hands, he began to do his best to steer the ship through the storm. It was a good thing that he had watched Jack with it so many times as that was the only reason why he had any idea whatsoever how to handle it.

Though Jack clung to Will's leg so tightly that the circulation had cut off, Will continued desperately trying to steer the Pearl through the ever-raging storm. He heard a tearing, ripping sound and looked up just in time to find the main mast falling over them. He never had a chance to save Jack or himself . . .

* * *

Prue had managed to reach the galley and was holding tightly to the Book as she made her way back to the sleeping quarters. The ship was moving, trembling, and she feared that it was going to open and swallow her at any moment. When it had pitched upward and then came back down again, she had almost fallen backward off of it, but as it had settled back down, she had been thrown forward and had fallen into a huge hole made by an ice shard.

She screamed and was hanging on desperately with one hand. She could not let go of the Book and knew that she could not hold on for very long. She prayed that help would come, and it was at that moment that a howl met her ears. "Brendan?" her trembling voice called out to her love. Was he in danger? Was he dying? She knew she'd never know. "I love you, Brendan!" she called out, thinking those would be her last words as she felt her hand slipping.

* * *

Brendan had barely reached the deck of the Sea Witch when the ship had surged upwards. He had seen Prue but then lost sight of her in his mad scramble to stay aboard. As the ship settled again, it took him a moment to find her. When he did, he could only see one hand trying frantically to maintain its grip on the side of a huge hole. He started forward even as her words met his ears and he saw her fingers lose their grip. Without a single thought more, he burst into full speed, wolfing as he ran and, for the first time, not feeling the pain.

She felt herself falling. Clutching the Book against her chest, she closed her eyes and waited for her fate.

Brendan did not slow as he reached the hole. Instead, he leapt into it and caught Prue against him as he fell. Reaching out to the tattered deck that hung around them, he dug his claws in to slow their descent.

The screech of his claws as he dug desperately in at the wood, trying to get a hold, hurt Prue's ears. She threw her arms around him, trapping the Book between their bodies. "We have to keep it safe," she told him even as she realized that he was in full wolf form and would probably not understand what she was telling him. She opened her eyes and tried to talk to him in the lupine language.

A piercing gaze from yellow eyes met Prue's look. "We have to keep you safe," he growled at her even as he began to climb upwards. As she was now hanging onto his neck, his hands were free so that he could use both sets of claws.

Prue knew that the Book was safe and would not fall out. Happiness glowed in her eyes a moment as she realized that Brendan knew what she was saying. She could talk to him! Best of all, he was managing to climb out and she felt that they would make it! "We have to keep this Book safe, Brendan. It's full of magic. It belongs to my family. We have to save them! Thank you for coming after me." She could not help the feeling of sensualness that flowed through her veins at his mere touch even while in wolf form.

The wolf grunted. He could make out just enough of what she was saying to know that she was overly concerned with the thick Book thrust between them and her pack. He couldn't care less about any wad of papers; all he cared about was protecting her. The wolf never stopped to wonder why he felt so strongly for this human even as he continued climbing upward.

When they had reached the top, Prue lay on her side, still holding on to Brendan. She was breathing deeply and was both relieved and very thankful that they had made it out alive. She reached up and brushed the fur on his face. "I love you, Brendan," she said in the lupine language. "I need to get to my family. Can you take me there?"

Brendan blinked upward at the woman even as he grunted again. What was it about her touch that set him on fire, and what was this "love" thing she talked about? The wolf grunted again, choosing not to speak, as he rolled them together to their feet. Slinging her around, he put her on his back and was about to take off in search of scents that he knew should smell similar to hers.

Prue reminded him, "The Book! We must have the Book!"

The wolf grunted and bristled. Why was she so damned concerned about some stupid Book? Then he stopped himself with another question: And _why_ did he care what she was concerned over? He didn't know the answer to either question even as he started to turn around for the Book. His paw closed around the Book, but before he could straighten again, a huge wave washed over them, throwing them both overboard. Prue clung to Brendan, and he kept one hand on her much smaller hands and the other on the Book.

* * *

The ice that had been forming between Lorne and Crystal simply vanished as she felt his grip loosen and the water begin to pull him away from her. Her eyes opened, and she turned her face so that she could see him. She could see nothing in the dark waters and reached for the crystal. As her fingers closed around its surface, she concentrated, sending a simple message out to her cousin. Jack, she thought, you're so full of it.

She could hear the teasing grin in his mental tone. Needed the crystal, huh, cuz?

Just talk to me.

As he obliged her, Crystal's horror grew at the bodies she saw floating in the water. Her heart nearly stopped beating as Lorne, Angel, and even her babies were all pulled more swiftly away from her. Even in their unconscious state, Angel still clung to Cordelia and Lorne was still reaching for her. She knew she needed to let them go if they were to ever again have a chance of living, but she also knew that she could not let them drown. She could not even bare the thought of _any_ harm befalling them, let alone their deaths.

Crystal's ice blue eyes narrowed even more as she concentrated again. Jack continued to babble in her mind, and she tried to focus on his words as well in a desperate attempt to keep herself from giving in to the urge to close her eyes, fall asleep, and just let the whole world go away. Her lungs ached for air, but still she concentrated, watching the sheets of ice form underneath the bodies and praying to any God or Goddess that might listen that it would not be too late.

* * *

Angel watched Crys without giving himself away, wondering what she would do. Now would be her chance to get away. If she didn't truly care about them, she would do just that, leaving them to drown. He willed himself to lay completely still and was glad for once to be a Vampire since he didn't have to breathe. He knew he would have to get them out of there quickly, but he also knew that she could get them out even faster than he could. He felt a sheet of ice forming underneath them and knew that it would rise them swiftly to the surface. How long it would last once they reached there, he didn't know, but he hoped it would be enough time that he could get Cordelia somewhere safe.

Lorne had been fighting to get himself back to himself so that he could get out of the water, but his body had not been responding very well. He was relieved to feel the sheet of ice forming underneath him, but he realized that Crys, who was just out of his reach, wasn't on a sheet of ice. Was she sacrificing herself for them? She was the first woman he had ever met who was so totally Hellbent on sacrificing herself for the good of others, and he just didn't know how to handle it. The sheet of ice drifted slightly toward Crys, and when it dipped, it allowed Lorne to grasp her wrist and pull her aboard. He clung tightly to her, feeling her slipping away and not knowing how to stop her.

The ice under the animals was shooting skyward, and he knew his would go quickly too. "Crys, hang on. Do not leave me," he spoke softly even as he stroked her wrist gently where he held her.

Crystal was still concentrating on the ice to save the others but knew that the water was getting the better of her. She could barely hear Lorne's words, and they seemed to come from miles away. Her lips parted in an attempt to answer him, but she inhaled water instead.

As soon as the ice they were riding on broke the surface, Lorne breathed a sigh of relief and returned his body to normal activity. He had had to suspend himself in order to handle being underwater. He now heard sounds of popping and looked around, seeing other blocks of ice coming to the surface, bearing people and animals. He had no ideal how many were out there floating on ice blocks, but he knew Crys was responsible. "Thank you, Crys. Rest now." He stroked her forehead. He did not know how long it would take them to reach shore or even if they would, but he knew that Crys had done her very best for every one.

* * *

Angel looked around at all the blocks of ice. He had known Crys was powerful but not how powerful. This was very impressive, he thought. He glanced over at her where she lay still and hoped that she would be all right. His sister was turning out to be quite the remarkable woman, and a warm spot glowed in his heart for her. He cuddled Cordelia closer to him, wishing he had body heat to give her and hoping that they would soon reach land of any sort.

* * *

Autolycus fought bravely at the Sea Witch's wheel, but he knew it was a losing battle. His heart had grown heavy when he had witnessed the loss of the other two ships, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before the Sea Witch went down. It seemed that the only crew still aboard was himself and Elizabeth wherever she had gotten to. He hoped that the others had not perished and that Xena had managed to reach Gabrielle in time.

The Sea Witch pitched forward and then stood up on end, the gale winds never letting her rest. Everything left on the ship slid straight toward Autolycus. He yelped and hung even tighter on the wheel. He saw Piper Halliwell and Cole Turner sliding down straight toward him. He made a mad grab at Piper but missed her, and Cole was too far away for him to even make an attempt to save him. Just before they fell off the Witch, he saw Cole reach out to Piper, she grab his hand, and then he shimmer them. He wished them the best of luck that they would make it somewhere safe.

He heard screams and then saw Elizabeth sliding straight toward him. At the same time, a chest that he recognized from Xena's chambers came sliding even faster toward him. Should he grab the treasure or the woman? he asked himself. He let go of the wheel and made a mad grab for both. He actually had both in hand when he realized that he didn't have a free hand to grab onto anything to save them.

With a deep sigh of regret, he relinquished the treasure and managed to grab part of the railing even as the ship began to descend and splinter as it came down, falling all around the bodies that had just been washed up. As the ship fell and more bodies, having fallen through the sleeping quarters' doors came spilling past them, the railing broke in Autolycus' hand, casting both he and Elizabeth into the abyss below. Screams split the night sky . . .

**_The End ?_**


End file.
